Eidolons
by MistressofSeven77
Summary: Slight AU. The Avengers have overall settled, many starting families. Then, the Bakugan descended to Earth. Amongst those Bakugan were the Six Eidolons, legendary Bakugan whose true power can only be unleashed when they work together with a human partner. Will these six Bakugan be able to work with their partners, saving both worlds from the schemes of the mysterious Black Empire?
1. Chapter 1: A Lonely Heart

Chapter 1: A Lonely Heart

_All I've ever known is solitude. _

A young girl walked home, alone.

_The kids at school make fun of me for all sorts of different reasons. I didn't think much of it, initially. _

Her auburn, long hair was flowing freely, going just underneath her shoulders. Her blue eyes were looking at the ground, and she was clearly downtrodden.

_But then they started calling me names like "half-breed" and all of that. Names that insulted my lineage! Something I couldn't help! _

She pulled her backpack straps together even tighter.

_I can't help it that I'm half-Russian! What's so wrong with that, anyways?! _

She squeezed her eyes shut.

_And then, after people discovered that some Bakugan could talk, it only got worse because I don't have a single talking Bakugan! _

Tears began to escape her eyes. One of them splashed onto a blue-and-white Bakugan case, indicating her position as an Aquos Brawler. She clenched her fist as rain began to fall…

* * *

><p><em>Tch! My sister and I came to this world to fight to protect Vestroia, and yet, we have yet to find a human partner!<em>

Two Bakugan were sitting in a puddle in the rain. They were clearly Aquos Bakugan, as indicated by their blue-themed color scheme. There was at least one clear difference between the two-one had a slightly darker body than the other. You could see it even when they were in ball form-one's head was white with a silver visor, and the other had a black head with a strange white pattern around one eye.

_Perhaps they were right. Although that idiot Naga is trapped within the Silent Core, he has already done much damage to both Earth and Vestroia. Perhaps the war is already lost._

The two suddenly felt an interesting feeling. They smiled.

_Oh? This feeling… _

_There is no doubt in my heart, Nix. _

_A human partner… finally, at last! _

The two were excited. Finally, they would get to have a human partner!

* * *

><p>The young half-Russian girl, with fists clenched and tears streaming down her cheeks, turned her head to the high heavens. Although she doubted it would be heard, she needed to let her pain, frustration, and sorrow out.<p>

"ALL I WANT IS A TALKING BAKUGAN! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!" She cried at the top of her lungs, letting it all out. Her tears hit the peak flow. She unclenched her fists, letting the rain drip off her fingertips.

"_Hey! I get how you feel!" _

Her breath hitched. She turned around constantly, trying to find the source of the voice.

"_Down here! In the puddle-HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE STEPPING!"_

She turned to look down at a puddle she almost stepped in. Making sure to not step in the puddle, she knelt down and looked closely. It was then that she finally saw the source of the voice. She knew exactly what they were.

"You two…" She began.

"_Yes?" _One of the two asked, raising an eyebrow (well, to the best extent that a Bakugan in ball form could).

"Oh my God!" She cried, this time of joy. She scooped the two Bakugan up and out of the puddle, her tears now of joy.

"Talking Bakugan! Yes! I finally found my partner-well, partners!" She exclaimed, hugging them.

"_Pffft! Can't… breathe… HUMAN!" _

She laughed a little nervously.

"Sorry about that… It's just… I was so happy to finally find a talking Bakugan, and I get _two_ of you!"

"_Yea, it's because we're sisters."_

"Really? Well, that's cool! Say, what are your names?"

"_My name is Stiria." _The black one said.

"_I'm Nix! Together, we're the Shiva Sisters! Never forget it!" _The white one added, smiling.

"Well, nice to meet you, Stiria and Nix! My name is Katrina."

"_Katrina… Looking forward to working with you." _Stiria said, smiling.

"Same here." Katrina said, smiling as well, putting away the Shiva Sisters in her Bakugan holder. She wiped away her tears and danced home through the rain, overjoyed to know that, finally, she had not one, but _two_ partners. The Shiva Sisters, Stiria and Nix. She couldn't wait to battle alongside them.

She soon got home, shed her rainy boots and changed out of her dripping wet clothes, turning to go take a shower. She let the Shiva Sisters out of the Bakugan holder for the moment.

"You girls just take a break, okay? I'm going to go take a shower." Katrina said, turning to look at the girls before she went off to shower.

"_Sure… whatever that means." _Nix acknowledged, not knowing what a shower is. Katrina left the room, and the sound of water flowing filled the house.

"_She is so young, but I can tell that she is a skilled combatant. We found a very good partner, Nix." _Stiria said.

"_What makes you say that, Stiria?" _Nix asked.

"_Look over there. Those are human weapons. What they do is beyond me, but I doubt that she would have them if she did not know how to use them. She is a capable combatant. Something that we should be grateful for." _Stiria replied, pointing towards a weapons cache in the corner of her room, very close to her bed.

"_Interesting! She's so young, but she knows how to use all of that? We've got a great partner! Awesome!" _Nix exclaimed.

"_Let's just hope that the others find human partners that are just as capable…" _Stiria said, looking out the window.


	2. Chapter 2: Night of the Hunter

Chapter 2: Night of the Hunter

Stark Tower was quite the place to call home. For Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, and his beloved Pepper Potts, it was a nice place. Jarvis helped maintain everything, and whenever Tony went out in whatever Mark of his suit he wore, Jarvis went with him. But it was not the case for Seraphina "Serah" Stark, his only daughter.

Despite the fact that her father had tried everything to help her, Serah often felt lonely. People looked down on her, calling her rich and spoiled because of her lineage, and because people looked down on her, she could never get close to anyone. She had a few Pyrus Bakugan, but because no one outside of her blood and adopted family would talk to her, the only time she ever got to Brawl was… well, in all practicality, never.

Her father had gone as far as to create her own little "Jarvis", per say, except she was a girl and her name was Claire. Because Serah was bored so often, she had installed a Brawling program into Claire, and would occasionally challenge her cyber-companion to Brawls because she was so desperate.

She flopped on her bed, and looked out the window, dread in her eyes as she looked at the vast array of glass-paneled buildings around her. She sighed.

"People would kill to be in my place. People in the middle- and lower-class sections of life are jealous of us in their own ways. Some are sad and cry like newborn babies. Others insult and call us all sorts of names. My dad and mom just take it like it's nothing, but all the gadgets and all of that in the world can't take the place of a true friend. I don't care if they're a Bakugan or a human. I just would be so happy if I could have a great friend to laugh with, cry with… God DAMN! Ugh!"

"_Greetings, Master Serah. You seem unhappy."_

Serah knew the source of that voice. Her personal version of Dad's Jarvis, Claire. An electronic servant that was tasked with ensuring she was doing well, and, apparently, Claire had now decided that making sure her master was happy was part of that. Not that Serah really minded, but she just had no motivation to do anything right now.

"What else is new, Claire? You're a great friend and all, but you know, would it kill anyone to just let me have a nice friend who isn't my dad or my mom or a master assassin chick or a master sniper guy or a guy with breathtaking anger management issues or a supersoldier dude or a FUCKING THUNDER GOD?!" She asked sarcastically, raising her voice at the end.

"_Perhaps a joyride might soothe your troubled nerves?"_

"I doubt it. Even if I broke the damn sound barrier, none of the cars or jets could give me what I need."

"_Then perhaps another mode of transportation might be more soothing?"_

"Huh? You're not saying that I should jack one of my dad's suits and try to pilot one of those things, are you?" Serah asked.

"_Your father had initially ordered Jarvis and I to keep it concealed from you, but it is your birthday and you are far too upset for the occasion. Follow me." _

A small smile began to creep across Serah's face.

"Let's go see my new toy, Claire."

She followed the signals of the electronic servant, into a secret room. There, before her, stood a currently-powered-down suit of flame-themed cyber-valkyrie armor. She smirked. She knew that somewhere, somehow, her dad would build his little genius a supersuit so he could say he had a protegé. Best birthday present ever? Maybe. It did help that her body had a EM Wave interface installed into her nervous system.

She shook her head. She did not plan on reliving _that_ one. No, she was not going through that _hell incarnate that nearly killed her Dad and everyone else she cared about_ again. She shoved that painful memory sequence back where it belonged (deep in her mind where she would only relive it in her most intense nightmares), and assumed a five-pointed-star-like position.

"Do it, Claire."

"_Are you certain that-" _

"Dad knows that something like this would happen anyways. You can fuck with Jarvis's systems so he'll never know. Do. It. NOW!"

"_Very well. As you wish. Security protocols overridden. Cameras set to loop. Parent system 'Jarvis' overridden and jamming code engaged. Begin installation of Mark I 'Flame Valkyrie' Suit." _

Serah smirked as Claire did her work, overriding whatever needed to be overriden and basically fucking with Jarvis's systems so that her dad's personal bitch would never know. She smiled arrogantly as the feminine yet intimidating armor was put on her body. The moment the last piece was installed, Claire downloaded herself to assist her master.

"_Calculations complete. Flight systems ready."_

"Then let's fucking _SOAR_, Claire!"

With a powerful yet beautiful purr that could only come from something mechanical (aka the propulsion systems in the suit), she lifted off the ground, and then gunned it. She took off into New York City's skies, not a care in world.

"_Would you like some music to accompany you on your first flight?" _Claire asked.

"Let's see… I think Night of the Hunter is good."

"_Playing 'Night of the Hunter' by 30 Seconds to Mars."_

The music began playing, and Serah began singing along.

* * *

><p><em>God… How long have I been in this world by now?! I need to find a human partner! Why is it so hard to find a half-decent partner?! One who burns like the flame inside my soul-<em>

The Pyrus Bakugan was clearly a woman by the tone in her voice. Her body had strange designs all over it, and she appeared to be holding some kind of weapon, but in ball form, it wasn't easy to discern exactly what that weapon was. She was desperate for a human partner, and was currently rattling out her frustrations to no one until she felt _that feeling._ The feeling that a human partner suited for her was close. She smirked as she saw the human jet by in a metal suit.

_Well, well! What do we have here? Looks like I've found you! Here I go! _

She rolled back, before launching herself at maximum velocity towards the suited human, praying that she would get the human's attention in her reckless endeavor…

* * *

><p>Serah blazed on through the skies, a trail of flame behind her. She was screaming as the adrenaline rush gave her a high unlike any other. Loops and rolls of all kinds only added to the breathtaking experience. Then, something struck the backside of the armor, making a resounding <em>ping!<em> She turned to try to find it.

"_Damnit! That didn't go according to plaaaaaaaaaaan!" _

She looked down, and her eyes widened.

"Holy shit… A talking Bakugan! Claire, let's go!"

"_Understood." _

She shot downwards like a bullet, catching the Pyrus Bakugan in midair, saving its life.

"Hey, you okay?"

The poor creature panted heavily.

"_Considering I almost just DIED, yea, I'm doing great!" _

Serah snorted.

"You know, I like you. Say, you wanna be partners?"

"_That's exactly what I was gonna ask!"_

"Well then! What's your name, partner?"

"_I am Brynhildr! What is your name, human?"_

"Seraphina 'Serah' Stark. Looking forward to working with you!"

"_I hate to break up this happy union, but we should get back. Jarvis has discovered I have overriden his program and security protocols."_ Claire pointed out.

"Well, fuck. I'm screwed."


	3. Chapter 3: Fire and Ice (Part 1)

Chapter 3: Fire and Ice (Part 1)

Serah woke up in her regeneration alcove. She groaned. There was no doubt that Jarvis had put two and two together and had rattled both of them out, and the fact that she woke up in her alcove meant that her Dad and Mom were going to be downright _pissed_ at her. Why? Because it meant she had nearly completed drained her EM Wave Neural Interface. Meaning she nearly killed herself. She slammed her head into the alcove.

"Nice going, stupid. You didn't die from losing power, but you might as well be dead when your Dad and Mom come in and tell you off like you're some five-year-old kid! Ugh!" Serah ranted to herself.

"Well, good to see you realize how stupid and reckless that was!"

She groaned. It was her Mom, Pepper Potts. Her Mom, at times, was a real bitch in Serah's eyes (she never told anyone besides Claire that, though) because she was so _freaking paranoid._ Like her Dad, a part of her body was dependant on technology, and that part happened to be essential to continue existing. Her Dad's chest-mounted arc reactor that kept his heart safe from the shrapnel embedded only inches away. Her own EM Wave Neural Interface, embedded within her whole nervous system, allowing her nerves to keep on firing.

"Mom, give it up-" Serah began.

"Pepper, let me talk to her." Tony said, cutting her off. Pepper hissed, but knew that Serah was closer to her father than her mother. She stormed off. Tony looked at Serah in the way that she knew that she would be scolded.

"The Flame Valkyrie armor wasn't ready, Serah! I still had adjustments to make on it! Your lack of energy in your interface aside, you could've died from an armor failure!" Tony scolded, looking at her incredulously. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and looked to the side.

"Dad, you can't blame me. Everyone at school thinks I'm some stereotypical rich girl, and since I finish all of my homework in study hall-if I have any at all-I have _nothing_ to do when I get home! I am so bored-" She began, before her father placed a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off.

"There was a reason I designed that armor for you, Serah." He said, smiling. Serah raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Oh? There was? And what was that reason?" She asked, although she already knew the answer.

"I think it's about damn time Iron Man got himself a partner in crime. What better choice than a badass armored chick who shoots fire out of her hands?" He asked in turn, smiling.

"I can't think of a better choice of a protegé." She replied, her smile matching her Dad's. He placed his other hand on her shoulder, looking her dead in the eyes.

"Now, wait here and finish regenerating. Tomorrow is your birthday, and the birthday of Iron Man's new partner, Flame Valkyrie. You ready for it?"

"I was _born _ready."

Tony turned and began to walk away. He then raised his finger and turned to look at her.

"Oh, and about the loneliness thing-I found an online site that you might like. I had Jarvis send Claire the link. It's got video chat capabilities, so maybe you can make some friends on there." He suggested.

"I'll see what happens. Night, Dad."

"Take a good nap, Serah."

Serah closed her eyes, and let the machine do its work. Brynhildr watched in rapt fascination as the EM Wave Energy recharged her Neural Interface, causing her body to gain blue patterns all over, revealing the Neural Interface. She had obviously fallen asleep as her body recharged. Tony looked at her one last time.

"Don't scare me again, Serah. I've almost lost you two times now. I don't want the third time to be the charm." He muttered.

* * *

><p>Katrina's newfound joy at now having battle partners in the Shiva Sisters, Stiria and Nix, did not go unnoticed by her parents, but what could one expect when your mother was an ex-Russian spy who now worked for a secret agency and your father was a skilled archer who worked for the same agency? They let Katrina have some secrets, out of respect, but this sudden surge of joy was so unlike the normally-dreary girl.<p>

"I wonder what changed? I mean, look at her, Nat! She hasn't come home with an injury or crying her eyes out! There has to be something…" Clint pointed out, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Yet we can't see it. Damnit, I've had enough of her hiding this secret. Tonight, at dinner, we're asking her." Natasha added, her tone of voice making it clear that there would be no protesting. It was to be expected. Even off-duty, she carried a weapon of some sort with her. She was the infamous Black Widow, after all.

"Yes, ma'am."

He saluted her. She smacked his arm playfully.

"You idiot. Stop that, you know it pisses me off."

"If it pisses you off, then why do you put up with it?"

"Because you're _my_ idiot."

He chuckled, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Of course. And you're my ninja."

He planted a kiss on her cheek. She smacked him again, and they laughed together. Katrina was secretly watching, and she made a quiet gagging noise while covering her mouth. She turned away.

"How is it that one minute my mom can rip someone's throat out and my dad can shoot someone from fifty miles away and the next they're all lovey-dovey and so _gross? _It's so… just, ugh!" She whisper-asked.

"_Humans are such strange creatures." _Stiria said.

"_Yea… I mean, one minute they're fighting over small stuff, and the next minute they're all happy and doing… whatever that is!" _Nix added.

Katrina hung her head, and facepalmed. Bakugan really _were_ aliens. And Nix was certainly something else, all things considered. She slid down against the wall, and focused on her twin Bakugan partners.

"It's all a part of how humans show that they love one another in that way. It's really hard to explain, Nix." Katrina whispered, trying to remain quiet and unnoticed.

"_Is something wrong?" _Stiria asked.

"...I don't know how to tell my Mom and Dad about you guys. Mom and Dad have been through a lot, and they worry about me a lot. If they found out that I had two alien friends and I was an Aquos Brawler and I joined that site for Brawlers recently-"

"And what site would that be?"

Katrina squeaked. She turned to see her mother standing there, arms crossed. Her eyes were narrowed. Katrina silently cursed herself for not hearing her mother coming.

"_I think the human saying here is… 'You're screwed." _Nix said.

"Yea… I'm definitely screwed." Katrina added.


	4. Chapter 4: Fire and Ice (Part 2)

Chapter 4: Fire and Ice (Part 2)

Katrina didn't answer. She was far too scared of losing her partners to her mother's fury to answer. Her eyes were as wide as two full moons, and she was trembling. How could she tell her mother that she had met Stiria and Nix by pure chance that one afternoon? How could she tell her Mom she was an Aquos Brawler? How could she tell her Mom that her friends were _aliens from a parallel realm?_ How could she tell her Mom that not long after she found Stiria and Nix, she'd joined a site for Brawlers that allowed them to video chat with one another and, if they lived close enough, could arrange to meet and Brawl?

"Tasha? Katrina? What's going on?"

She hung her head. It would only get worse, she thought, if her Dad found out as well. She had been committing the sin of omission all this time, and now she had been busted. Big time. Her heart raced in panic in her chest as she heard her Dad get closer and closer. He finally arrived at the unspoken stalemate between mother and daughter. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"

Natasha turned to face him.

"Well, Clint, it would seem that our daughter has been hiding quite a few things from us, and I've obviously caught her red-handed!" She snapped, glaring in the direction of Katrina. Clint looked at Katrina. He then turned to Natasha and shook his head.

"Nat, you can't interrogate her like she's some criminal! I'm sure she can explain this, but you're being too harsh on her! She's your daughter, not some terrorist!" He scolded. She hissed, but secretly knew that he was right. Clint turned and walked the rest of the way towards his daughter. He knelt down, and looked gently at his beloved daughter. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.

"Let's make a deal, okay? You go gather yourself, take a few deep breaths, okay? Then, figure out how to tell us what you've been hiding. We'll talk about it over dinner. Deal?" He asked, smiling. She nodded.

"It's gonna be quite a story."

"Looking forward to hearing it."

* * *

><p>"This. Is. AWESOME!"<p>

Serah was currently browsing the Bakugan Brawler website that she had joined in the past week. Her popularity had skyrocketed in a matter of days, both online, and now, it was starting to affect her real-world life. Apparently, the moment the world learned that the daughter of Tony Stark was a skilled Pyrus Bakugan Brawler, the world's view on her changed from disdainful to loving. Claire was now busy managing Serah's Brawling schedule, and both Serah and Brynhildr couldn't be happier. Of course, when her Dad heard Brynhildr talk, Serah had a field day messing with her Dad's head.

It was then that the Mark I Flame Valkyrie armor had a Pyrus-designed Bakugan Shooter and Holster installed. The aforementioned Shooter and Holster could also be detached from the suit, so she could use it whenever she wanted to. It also came with a highly-advanced Brawl Display, so she had access to every bit of data in any Brawling situation, and also had Claire in her Brawls. Finally, Serah was happy.

She had just logged on, turning on the video camera so she could cheerfully greet whoever she talked down in that session. It was then that she saw a name that she had a hard time believing was really… well, she couldn't believe that the individual in question was really on a Brawling website. She knew this person very well, and although this person was a skilled Brawler, this individual was known for not being the most social of people.

The name was Katrina Romanoff. One of the few people who had never seen Serah as the daughter of Tony Stark, but as just another girl. Another girl who happened to have more money than all of the staff of the school combined, but the money and lineage wasn't a problem. Probably because when their parents' jobs weren't in the way, the two used to play. The daughter of Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. A master Aquos Brawler. Serah was suspicious.

She clicked on the video chat link, and was surprised to see the face that greeted her. She smiled, and for once in her life, was happy to be proven wrong. Brynhildr sat on her right shoulder.

"_Serah? Since when do you Brawl?" _Katrina asked, shocked to see Serah.

"Since I found my first Bakugan and Claire had a Brawling program in her coding. Anyways, I'm the one that's more shocked here-what are you doing on this site?" Serah asked in turn.

"_Since I found my partners, I became a lot happier and more confident. Sure, I had a bit of a rough spot last night, but Stiria, Nix, and I are friends forever!" _Katrina chirped.

"Rough spot… let me guess… your parents found out everything?"

"_Heh. You know it, but my Mom is the Black Widow, and my Dad is Hawkeye. To be honest, what surprises me is how I was able to keep it hidden for as long as I did!" _

Serah snorted.

"That's certainly true. So, what are you-"

Serah's words were cut off by a sudden explosion.

"_What just happened?!" _Katrina exclaimed.

"To hell if I know! Claire, can you tell me anything?!" Serah snapped, looking towards her Monitor.

"_The explosion did not breach the Tower. Trajectory suggested that the blast itself had no true aim. It simply scattered and dissipated." _Claire said in a calm tone.

"_No aim… scattered and dissipated… It was just an attention-getter?"_ Katrina wondered.

"Well, I'm not just going to leave it alone. You think you can get there in about… fifteen minutes?"

"_Yea. I can get there. Just send it to me." _

"Bring the Bakugan, and some of that arsenal you got from your Mom. We're gonna bring the party to whoever did this."

"_Alright, see you there!" _

Katrina got off the chat. Serah turned off her computer.

"Claire, get the Shooter and the Holster. I'm going to pick out my troops."

"_Right away, Master Serah." _

Claire went away for a moment to go detach the Shooter from the Mark I Flame Valkyrie Armor. Serah waved her hand over a section of her bedroom wall. The EM Wave Neural Interface in her body responded instantly, causing a blue line to go down the back of her arm, into her hand, and through her fingertips. This caused an EM Wave Pulse, invisible to the naked eye outside of her Interface when it was active and revealed, to be sent from her fingertips into the wall. Two rectangular sections parted, quickly bringing out a small collection of Pyrus Bakugan. She looked at Brynhildr. The two looked at each other.

"Ready for a party?"

The Bakugan smirked.

"_Bring it on!" _

Brynhildr leapt off her shoulder perch, right into Serah's hand. Serah picked two other Pyrus Bakugan up, before sending another EM Wave Pulse out of her hand, putting her collection away. Just then, Claire returned with the detached Shooter and Holster. Serah walked to another area, closer to her regeneration alcove. Claire took control of mechanical arms, attaching the Holster to Serah's waist and opening it. Serah put her three choice Bakugan into the Holster like a cowboy would holster his gun. She shot her hand forward, and the arms installed the Shooter, syncing it with her Interface. It let out a final blue glow before seemingly disappearing back into her arm. With all of her equipment ready, she smirked.

"It's party time, Claire. Let's go."

The Monitor took on a glow as Claire finished downloading herself into the small, wrist-mounted device.

"_I am ready whenever you are, Master Serah." _

Serah smirked, and tore out of her room. With a few button presses, she took the elevator to the garage level. She took a motorcycle, mounted it, and sped off in the direction of the blast.


	5. Chapter 5: Frozen Flames

Chapter 5: Frozen Flames

Katrina and Serah arrived at the same time. Serah stopped her bike right next to Katrina's, smiling at her. Katrina nodded in front of them. They saw two hooded figures, seemingly attempting to stage something else. They nodded at each other.

"Hey, you two over there!" Serah called. The two men turned to face the girls. They both snorted.

"Don't know who the little redhead is, but looky what we have here! The world-famous Brawlin' daughter of Tony Stark, Seraphina Stark!"

"Hehe… Those are some nice lookin' Bakugan you've got there. You hand 'em over-"

Katrina immediately cocked a gun, convincing the thugs otherwise.

"You're not taking Stiria and Nix. They're _my_ partners!" She hissed, glaring at them. Serah smirked.

_I wondered when that badass Russian ninja-assassin side was gonna show… _She thought, a slight chuckle accompanying her thoughts. Serah cocked her head to the left, and folded her arms.

"Hate to break it to ya, but you won't be taking my partner either." Serah said in a slightly playful and sarcastic tone of voice that was trademark amongst seemingly anyone who bore the Stark name. The two thugs growled.

"Fine then. Can't say we didn't warn ya." One of them said angrily. All four pulled out their respective Gate Cards.

"Bakugan! Field, OPEN!" They exclaimed in unison. Time started to slow down to a halt as the battlefield made its appearance as the alternate dimension, known as the battlefield, finally appeared.

"Gate Card, Set!" They exclaimed in unison, causing four Gate Cards, one in red, one in blue, one in orange, and one in green

"Ladies first, after all. Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Brynhildr, let them rip!" Serah exclaimed.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Fear Ripper!" The first thug said.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Aquos Nix, rise to the challenge!" Katrina exclaimed as Nix appeared in her full beauty.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Subterra Robotallion!" The second thug exclaimed.

_Aquos Nix G-Power 360_

_Pyrus Brynhildr G-Power 350_

_Subterra Robotallion G-Power 300_

_Ventus Fear Ripper G-Power 380_

Nix was on a Gate Card by herself with Robotallion doing nothing on its Gate Card. Meanwhile, Fear Ripper and Brynhildr were about to face it off.

"Gate Card, Open! Let's heat things up!" Serah said as her Brynhildr gained a G-Power boost from the flames that surrounded her Bakugan.

_Pyrus Brynhildr G-Power 450_

"Ha! You think you're so smart! Ability Activate! Slash Zero!

_Ventus Fear Ripper G-Power 460_

"Ability Activate. Valkyrian Scythe! This should cut you down to size." Serah said in a bored tone as Fear Ripper was defeated by an upward slash attack before Brynhildr slammed Fear Ripper down like she was a wrestler. Serah smirked.

_Ventus Fear Ripper G-Power 410_

_Pyrus Brynhildr G-Power 500_

"What the?!" The second thug exclaimed.

"That was boring." Serah said in a bored tone.

"Want to see boring?! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Mantris!" The second thug snapped. He was quite angry, but Serah wasn't really fazed.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Brynhildr!" exclaimed Serah.

_Ventus Mantris G-Power 340_

_Pyrus Brynhildr G-Power 350_

"Going head on? Fitting for the daughter of Tony Stark! Let's see how you like this! Ability Activate! Marionette! Alright Robotallion, join the fun!" The second thug exclaimed.

"Thanks, and now, Ability Activate! Robotallion Enforcement!" The first thug cried.

_Subterra Robotallion G-Power 350_

"Oh no. Two against one. I'm so scared." Serah mocked, pretending to wave her hands in fear.

"I can cut down both of your Bakugan with this. Gestalt Mode Ability! This one turns Brynhildr into her Gestalt Mode, and your abilities will be useless if you try to stop her." Serah added.

_Pyrus Brynhildr G-Power 450_

With a sharp turn of her wheels, Mantris was sent flying, and Robotallion was sent on a vacation when Brynhildr ran it over.

"Tch! Plan B. We double team the water girl. Bakugan, Brawl! Subterra Hynoid, go!" The first thug hissed.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Ventus El Condor!" The second thug said.

_Subterra Hynoid G-Power 380_

_Ventus El Condor G-Power 350_

_"I hate bees."_ Nix said.

"Not as much as I hate men who are complete and total cowards. I would love to slice them in two… or maybe shock them with my gauntlets…"

Serah looked at her in horror.

"Okay… maybe that assassin blood runs a little _too_ strong in your veins there, Kat…"

Katrina laughed.

"I'm just kidding, Serah. I'm learning to be an _assassin,_ not a _monster._" Katrina said reassuringly.

"Ability Activate! Sisterly Bond! If Nix is alone, Stiria can come to join the fun!" Katrina cried.

_Aquos Stiria G-Power 320_

"So? We'll get those Bakugan! Ability Activate. Desert Thunder!" The first thug growled.

_Subterra Hynoid G-Power 430_

"Ability Activate! Dragoon!" The second thug added.

_Ventus El Condor G-Power 670_

"Gate Card, Open! Trade Off!" Katrina cried. As soon as the gate card opened, both El Condor and Hynoid lost the battle.

"Hey, what happened?!" The first thug demanded.

"Trade Off is a gate card that has any Bakugan over 400 G's automatically lose the battle. Who are the wise guys now, hm?" Katrina replied. The thugs growled as Katrina set down a Gate Card.

"Ready, Katrina?" Serah asked, smirking.

"More than ever!" Katrina exclaimed.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand!" Serah and Katrina cried in unison.

"Stiria, show them your stuff!" Katrina said, taking a bit of a… well, _seductive_ is the best word… pose.

"Brynhildr, show time!" Serah exclaimed, snapping into a pose that showed just how confident she was. She knew that she had this in the bag, and she already had plenty of pride as the one and only daughter of Tony Stark.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Subterra Rattleoid!" The first thug said.

_Aquos Stiria G-Power 320_

_Pyrus Brynhildr G-Power 350_

_Subterra Rattleoid G-Power 320_

"Ability Activate! Poison Fang!" He cried.

_Aquos Stiria G-Power 270_

"Here we go! Ability Activate! Hydroburst! Not only does it let my Brynhildr gain 100 G's, but it also allows her to attribute change to Aquos!" Serah exclaimed. Brynhildr launched what appeared to be a burst of water as her armor changed from bright red to cool blue.

_Aquos Brynhildr G-Power 450_

"Now, Gate Card, open! Quartet Battle!" Katrina added.

"It's all you now, Katrina!" Serah exclaimed.

"Thanks. Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Let's do this, Nix!" Katrina cried. She proceeded to take a pose in which she stood on one leg, leaned back a bit, kicked the other one high in the air, and threw both hands back. For a moment, she seemed to glow blue, and then she dropped the pose, throwing Nix.

_Aquos Nix G-Power 360_

"Now, it's time for Gestalt Mode Activate! Stiria! Nix! Time to join forces!" Katrina said.

"No way! Your Bakugan can do that too?!" The first thug cried.

"For their Gestalt Mode, they need each other to create one hot ride." Katrina said as both Stiria and Nix combined together to create a motorcycle. Serah chuckled a bit.

_Aquos Stiria and Nix G-Power 630_

"Now, let's finish this!" Katrina and Serah exclaimed in unison.

The roar of an engine filled the thugs' ears as Stiria and Nix in their Gestalt Mode sped towards Rattleoid while Brynhildr powered up another Hydroburst to launch at the snake. When the two attacks collided, the snake was run over, and drenched, giving the win to Katrina and Serah.

Stiria and Nix disengaged their Gestalt Mode. Brynhildr returned to her normal Pyrus attribute. Both Bakugan returned to their respective owners, who were smiling. Reality returned, but not all was well. Serah collapsed, the heat of battle leading to her exhausting herself prematurely. Katrina guided her to the ground safely, not knowing what was wrong.

"_Lady Romanoff, I will attend to Master Serah's needs. You must pursue the men!" _Claire reassured. Katrina nodded.

"Right! I'm on it!"

Katrina gave chase to the thugs, remembering the training from her mother.

Survey the situation. Who are you up against? What is your environment like? Are there bystanders? How well are your enemies armed? How well are they trained? What are they capable of? Always be careful, because the answers to these questions can change in a matter of seconds.

She scaled a light pole in a matter of seconds, swinging from pole to pole.

Speed is a very important part of your training. The quicker you can end a battle, the better. But you must also be intelligent about it. Don't be reckless. Swift, yet smart. Don't let them know what hit them.

She flicked her wrists, causing an electric charge to arc between two points on a gold gauntlet.

These are your own versions of my Widow's Bite. One hit, and a normal man is instantly disabled. Use them wisely, and only for good.

She got on top of them, and simultaneously struck both of them in the back of the neck with the gift from her mother. The electric shock stunned them, and she used rope from a nearby butcher's shop to tie the two men to light poles.

Be resourceful. Also, when the job is done, walk away. Never linger.

She smiled.

"You'd be so proud, Mom. I'm sure of it."

She left the scene, leaving the two bound men to the authorities. She was finally allowing the lessons she learned from her mother to sink in. Her inner assassin was finally born. She took to the rooftops to get home, letting the wind rush through her hair.


	6. Chapter 6: Child of the Thunder

Chapter 6: Child of the Thunder

Being the daughter of a brunette astrophysicist woman wasn't too bad. That was a pretty normal life.

Being the daughter of a blonde hammer-wielding giant who could fly and had control over all things relating to storms? Not so much.

Not to mention that the aforementioned blonde giant was often referred to as the _God of Thunder_ and spoke like he came straight out of a Shakespeare play. And often had at least one of his powerful and equally-strange friends over. Powerful as in they all had weapons and armor. Strange as in the way they spoke, behaved, and dressed.

It was the life one lived when one was the daughter of Doctor Jane Foster, astrophysicist and host to all things downright _strange_, and Thor, the Crown Prince of _Asgard_ and very proud father. Especially now that his daughter's powers were manifesting. Powers that were her birthright on her dad's side and made him proud, but powers that her mother feared and were very nervous about.

Case in point being how they manifested. A bully was picking on one of her friends. Although she had warned him that if he didn't knock it off, she would beat him up, no one (not even she) had suddenly expected her to be able to pick up a man the size of a _football player_ and throw him through a _concrete wall at least a foot thick_ with _no trouble whatsoever. _

She fled the scene before anyone could put two and two together, but that was only the beginning. The very next day, someone tried to feel her up. This earned him a thorough electrocuting. She fled again, unsure of what the hell was happening. She didn't return home that night, too scared of hurting her family.

Of course, this led to her father and mother pulling out all the stops. Jane called Darcy and Eric (they were happy to help-they were like a family). Thor summoned Lady Sif and the Warriors Three (not like they had anything better to do really-nothing was going on in Asgard that needed their attention). They all gathered in Jane's RV, and after much discussion, Jane theorized that Astrid, their daughter, may actually not _want_ to be found, but they all agreed that she needed help, lest her powers run wild and bring about a superstorm to tear New Mexico asunder.

After she was described to the other Asgardians, Thor and his friends did their thing, while Jane took Darcy and Eric in the old RV. Amongst the god-like entities, it was decided that because of the sheer expanse of the New Mexico desert, they should split up to cover more ground. The plan worked-Lady Sif was able to find the confused Astrid breaking down on a rock she had unintentionally completely _shattered _in her emotional run.

All things considered, the noblewoman was completely _shocked_. This child was only _half-Asgardian_, and she was able to do this much damage without even trying? Odin was _certain_ to truly accept the marriage between his son and Jane after learning about _this. _Oh, he would be _proud._ But that was not the point. The point was helping her to calm down.

"Hello?" She called gently. Astrid looked like a puppy who had just lost its mother and then been kicked. Astrid turned, and tried to run away. But the Lady had more experience with her skills, and was easily able to catch the exhausted and confused Astrid. Crying, the young one looked up at Lady Sif. She backed away, putting her hands out.

"D-Don't touch me! You'll get hurt! I… I… Something's wrong with me!"

The noblewoman kneeled down, and took Astrid's hands in her own. She shook her head.

"Nothing is wrong with you, little one."

Astrid looked up at the noblewoman.

"W-what do you know?! W-Why do y-you look like that?! W-What's h-happening t-to me?! Just w-who are y-you?!" She stuttered in her tears. Lady Sif moved to sit next to her, and embraced her.

"Tell me, what do you know of your father?"

"M-Mom said that he's from a s-special place… w-way up in the sky…"

"Indeed he is, and so am I. Tell me, what do you know of that place?"

"T-That people up there…. they have s-special powers… like m-magic and stuff like that!"

"That's certainly correct. Magic is very common where your father and I come from."

"I-It is?"

"Yes. Now, tell me, do you know what that land is called?"

"I… I think Dad said it was called Asgard?"

"That's correct. Now, you should know something, little one. Your father just so happens to be the Crown Prince of Asgard."

"H-Huh?! W-What does t-that mean?"

"It means that he is one of the finest warriors in all the land, and he is next in line to rule the land."

"Ummm… Wouldn't that make Mom… Wouldn't that meant that Mom would be a princess?"

Lady Sif chuckled a bit, and smiled at the young one's naive nature.

"Perhaps so. Now, tell me something. You know that they are your true parents, correct?"

"Y-yea…"

"So, tell me, where do you think you got your powerful gifts from?"

Astrid thought for a moment.

"_I know not of every way of humanity, nor do I know anything of this 'Asgard' you speak of, and nor do I know anything of either of you, but I believe the correct answer is that the young lady obtained these powerful gifts you speak of from the blood of her father?" _

The two looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"_If you are attempting to find me, I am right underneath your hand, young lady." _

Astrid lifted her hand to see a small sphere, slowing down her tears. She picked it up. It had some white, dark green, with hints of gold. Lady Sif stared in rapt fascination at the sphere.

"A talking Bakugan?" Astrid wondered out loud, now almost completely calmed down. The Asgardian woman looked at her in confusion.

"A talking… what?"

"Bakugan. You see, there's this cool new game that a lot of the kids at school play, and part of the game includes these guys. Normally, they don't talk, but there's been rumors that some of them can!"

"A game? Tell me… how does one play this game?"

Astrid smiled.

"Well… It's not exactly easy to show you without another Brawler… but I'll do my best! You see…"

Time flew by as Astrid showed Lady Sif the game of Bakugan to the best of her ability by herself, amazing the noblewoman. Nightfall came quickly, and both were tired.

"...And that's Bakugan! I like it, and play with my friends all the time!" Astrid chirped, smiling.

"Most impressive… Perhaps you can show me an actual Brawl in the near future, when you return to the place of your education?" Lady Sif suggested.

"Maybe…" Astrid replied sleepily. She easily fell asleep against the Asgardian's armor. The noblewoman smiled.

"Rest easy now."

It was then that everyone else finally arrived.

"Awww… Look at her! She's so cute!" Darcy whispered.

"Well, what did we miss?" Jane asked.

"Oh, there is quite a tale to tell, but I believe that it will have to wait until tomorrow. This young one knows how to tell it best, but not in her current condition."

"So, bedtime, huh? Fine by me. I don't mind sleeping under the stars."

While Lady Sif kept Astrid calm and asleep, everyone else assembled a mini campsite, and crawled into whatever sleeping arrangements they had been assigned (sleeping bags for Darcy and Eric, the RV for Jane, Thor, and Astrid, and mats and blankets for everyone else) for the night. Astrid tightly clutched her father's nightshirt with one hand, and the talking Bakugan she'd found in the other. Thor woke up for one moment, not seeing the Bakugan held so tightly by his daughter.

"Good night, my Astrid."

He finally let himself fall into a deep slumber, planting a kiss on her forehead.


	7. Chapter 7: Astrid and Odin

Chapter 7: Astrid and Odin

The next morning, there was almost no debate. The Warriors Three would go back to report everything to Odin. Thor, of course, would stay back because he loved Jane that much and the time wasn't right to bring his daughter to the land of his birth. Lady Sif would stay back to help train Astrid with her powers and in some sort of weapon. So, after a good breakfast at the Diner (because Jane knew that was the only place with enough food to feed four pure-blooded Asgardians and one half-Asgardian), they went to the Bifrost site in New Mexico. After a few tearful goodbyes, the Warriors Three seemingly vanished in a flurry of rainbow light.

"Dad?"

"Yes, my little one?"

"Ummm… was the rainbow light… was that the Bifrost thing they were talking about?"

"Yes. It is the Rainbow Bridge, Bifrost. It links all of the Nine Realms together."

"Nine Realms?"

"Come back to the transport. I will explain it to you."

The four that remained on Midgard (Lady Sif, Astrid, Jane, and Thor) went back into Jane's van. Thor pulled out the little doodle he had made in Jane's notebook, and sat on the lower bunk. He patted the bed, and Astrid took the cue. She sat next to her dad, with pen in hand, listening in rapt fascination as he told the stories of the Nine Realms. She would ask questions, and he would happily answer. Jane chuckled a bit-with her incredible imagination, only the heavens would know what she thought each of the realms looked like.

Finally, he finished, and then, Astrid decided she wanted some fresh air. So, she went outside, promising not to venture too far, and inhaled deeply. She went to the rock she had destroyed in her blind emotional outburst, and reassembled it to how she saw fit. She then sat down on a small section of the rock.

"Alright… I wonder if he'll talk again… It'd be nice to have a talking Bakugan…"

She sat the Bakugan beside her.

"I wonder what it's like to be in your position. Seeing the world as a grand creature trapped in a small form, only able to return to your true form when a human-or, well, in my case, half-Asgardian, half-human-calls you out in battle… I really do wonder…"

Nothing from the Bakugan. She sighed, and continued.

"Half-Asgardian and half-human… Man, I feel conflicted. Part of me comes from a guy who's practically a thunder god, and the other part of me is just a normal girl. I wonder what that means for the future…"

"_Your future is uncertain, it would seem, and your conflict is understandable. You fear that your mixed blood would be enough to ignite a war." _

She looked down at the Bakugan.

"Yea, that's exactly it. You're really smart, you know?"

"_Thank you for your kind words." _

"Not a problem. My mom always said to give credit where it's due."

"_Fear not, young lady. I highly doubt that mixed blood is enough to spark a whole war. There might be some heated arguments, but I doubt it is enough to trigger mass bloodshed. If the love between them is accepted by both sides, I am certain that their child would be accepted as well, no?"_

"You're right. I guess that my mind's on the fritz because of everything that's been happening lately… learning that my mixed blood has caused me to get powers… it's a little unnerving…"

"_But you have those who will support you and aid you as you learn what you are capable of and how to tame these abilities." _

"That's true…"

"_May I ask an important question, young lady?" _

Astrid raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, what is it?"

"_I have been searching for much time, and I would like to ask… would you be willing to be my partner in battle?" _

Astrid smiled.

"I'd be more than happy to, but please, tell me your name first."

"_I am Ventus Odin, but you may call me Odin." _

"Well, nice to meet you, Odin! My name is Astrid! Let's work together and be friends forever from now on! Sound good?"

"_Indeed. I shall look forward to working with you, Astrid." _

Astrid smiled at Odin. She wondered just what he really looked like, but since Jane had insisted on taking a few days off of school to tame her newfound powers, she wouldn't get to Brawl for a bit.

"Astrid, come at once! It is time for yet another round of sparring!"

She chuckled. It really _was_ funny to one minute to hear an Asgardian talk in comparison to a normal person talk. Astrid knew that she would probably have to learn to speak in the more archaic way, but she had no doubt that she'd get it. Nonetheless, she sighed.

"Odin, be quiet, okay? I can't have my Dad freaking out about you."

"_Understood." _

She stashed Odin in her coat pocket, and walked over to her father. Standing beside him was Lady Sif, holding two sparring swords (her father would _never_ let real metal be used at this early stage in the learning process), one of which, she tossed to Astrid.

"Huh? What's going on-"

Astrid was cut off by Lady Sif charging at her. Astrid only had so much time to respond, but managed to deflect Lady Sif's attack. The two spent the rest of the afternoon sparring, which taught Astrid many things, including the obvious swordsmanship (which she showed great promise in), but also control, stamina, defense, and mental training. Thor could not be more proud, but Jane… well, she was closing her eyes, whimpering, and clinging onto Thor.

"Remain calm, Jane. My friend will not cause harm to Astrid."

"It's not that… It's just…. too hard to watch…"

"I understand that watching your child suddenly manifest powers and then be trained to use them is an experience unlike any other. Perhaps I should take you back to your metal transport that also serve as your chambers? That might soothe you."

"Maybe… God… Kids, they grow up so fast…"

"That is certainly true. Time can certainly move quicker than one expects…"


	8. Chapter 8: Star Light, Star Bright

Chapter 8: Star Light, Star Bright

Time did indeed fly by. Astrid had shown great prowess with a sword. Serah loved helping her dad out when they played hero in their respective suits. Katrina had finally let her assassin blood dominate and trained with her mom. And then… the word got out that the great and glorious Cap was finally a father. Something that everyone knew he wanted.

The youngest out the Avengers family, no doubt. Christina Rodgers, a practical spitting image of her father (superhuman abilities included, but no shield), was made known. And she really was daddy's little girl. She loved playing with her daddy, especially racing him. It was much fun. However, she possessed a talent that her father did not.

The talent in question? She was a Haos Brawler. She didn't have too many Bakugan, but she wasn't one to actively seek Bakugan, and she didn't condone violence. Because of this, her father let it fly.

It was another peaceful evening in the Rodgers household, during a gentle snowy evening. Christina was sitting in her room. Her dad was currently relaxing in the living room. She was currently overlooking her small Bakugan collection, and she sighed, closing her eyes. She had heard the rumors about talking Bakugan, but, quite frankly, she couldn't believe it.

It probably didn't help that the game of Bakugan was still somewhat a mystery. How the cards had suddenly appeared from the sky that day. The incredible powers that were contained within. That was strange enough as is. Now, rumors that some of them were capable of speech? Where would it go _then?_ She did _not_ want to be forced to be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resident Bakugan Brawler because the overly-paranoid organization that has on occasion saved the world freaked out about Bakugan! The fact that they practically held her Dad hostage was bad enough!

She flipped over, letting her arm dangle over the edge of the bed lazily. She groaned, mumbling incoherent things into the nearest pillow (of which several she had gone through-no thanks to the fact her Dad was a lab experiment if one really thought about it!) It was then that she heard a strange noise.

_TAP. TAP. TAP. _

She groaned again.

_TAP. TAP. TAP._

"Leave me alone!"

_TAP. TAP. TAP. _

"Oh, for God's sake-!"

It was then that she realized the incessant tapping noise was coming from the window, not the door. Meaning it wasn't her Dad. She looked towards the window, and, at first, saw nothing. She walked over closer to the window, being cautious as she opened it… only to see a small white sphere. She had no doubt as to what it was-a Haos Bakugan.

"Weird… What was a Bakugan doing just sitting on my windowsill?"

She picked up the cold Bakugan, and noticed that it was actually shivering. She quickly closed the window and let the Bakugan warm up in her hands.

"_T-Thank you very m-much… k-kind h-human…"_

She jumped, and nearly dropped the Bakugan in her hands.

"W-What?! W-Who said that?!"

"_D-down here… i-in your hands…"_

She looked down.

"No. Way."

"_W-What d-does t-that mean?"_

"A talking Bakugan?!"

"_Y-Yes…"_

Christina's expression became one of pity.

"You must be freezing…"

"_I-It w-was certainly c-cold out there…" _

Christina held the Bakugan closer to her body. Right now, she didn't care that it was probably some sort of alien or something like that. Right now, the poor creature was on the verge of hypothermia, and she was too kindhearted to let something like that fly. The Bakugan was shivering, but eventually stopped as the poor creature finally reached a decent temperature. Christina looked at the Haos Bakugan, happy that she had probably saved its life.

"Feeling better now?"

"_Much better, thank you." _

"That's good to hear."

"_Who are you to be so kind to strangers?"_

"My Dad always said that if you can do something to help someone in need, that you should do that something to help that person, even if they're a complete stranger. You were going to die if I left you out there in that cold!"

"_That is certainly true… your father must be quite the man to have such a belief."_

"He is… but that aside… who are you? I can clearly tell you're a Haos Bakugan, which is my Brawling Attribute, but… who are you?"

"_My name is Alexander. And yours, kind human?" _

"It's Christina."

"_Ummm… If it's not too much trouble… can I ask you to be my human partner? Please?"_

Christina smiled at the Bakugan in her hands. She couldn't deny that, deep inside, she really _wanted_ a talking Bakugan. Plus, it seemed like the poor creature needed her help. The answer was easy.

"I don't see why not."

"_Well… looking forward to working with you." _

"Same here."


	9. Chapter 9: Claws

Chapter 9: Claws

Normally, the quiet and solitary Doctor Bruce Banner kept to himself. He spent most of his time nowadays in some sort of lab, per the request of S.H.I.E.L.D., and all seemed well for the overly-paranoid scientist. He would toil away at God-knows-what, safe and sound in his lab. He slept not too far away.

When the Bakugan had descended to Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. had begun a struggle to understand all things related to them. Because it was primarily viewed as a children's game by the general public, performing any tests was difficult. They could not simply capture groups of children and force them to Brawl. It would no doubt cause an uproar and a war of morals unlike any other. Of course, they had asked for the aid of every scientist in reach, including Dr. Banner and Dr. Foster.

Of course, this led to a very interesting… dealing with Thor. For the Thunder God was very protective of both Jane and Astrid. And even the Director himself knew _not_ to piss off the big blonde giant with the hammer and the lightning at his command. So, Thor was now a common sight around the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, but it worked out for everyone. Because, now, S.H.I.E.L.D. has access to the Pyrus, Ventus, Haos, and Aquos attributes. Four of the six. They only needed two more.

Pyrus came in the form of Seraphina "Serah" Stark and her partner, Brynhildr.

Ventus came in the form of Astrid Odinson and her partner, Odin.

Haos came in the form of Christina Rodgers and her partner, Alexander.

Aquos came in the form of Katrina Romanoff and her partners, the Shiva Sisters, Stiria and Nix.

There was a special arrangement in place, all to ensure the well-being of the children in question. Serah always had the latest Mark of Flame Valkyrie armor at her disposal and access to an EM Wave Neural Interface recharging alcove. Astrid had unlimited access to sparring areas and always carried her sword with her. Christina had a nice place to rest and always had a locket around her neck. Katrina loved being with her Mom and Dad all the time and was almost always found with one of them… usually Mom. All children had means and methods so that they were never out of touch with their families, plenty of supplies… including food (of which Astrid devoured much), and time off.

It was another crazy day at one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s many fortresses. Serah was dead asleep, having been forced to pull an all-nighter fixing mysteriously-broken equipment. Astrid was talking to her father, knowing that the time for them to go to Asgard was soon. Christina was studying with her Dad, wanting to always do her best in school. Katrina was sparring with her mother, enjoying the challenge of sparring against the Black Widow. Everything seemed well…

_BOOM!_

Everyone turned their eyes, and saw a massive, unholy creature tear through the wall. It had massive, brown, feathered wings, large, dark fangs, and crimson red curved claws. It let out a savage roar, easily sending Katrina and Serah into a wall and knocking them out cold. Christina was not in the reach of the roar, and Astrid… well, she was the daughter of freaking Thor. It wasn't too hard to withstand the blast.

"Katrina! Serah!" Astrid exclaimed. Agents arrived, and Astrid handed the two girls to them.

"Huh?"

"You handle this. I have other things to worry about."

Christina arrived just as Astrid turned to face the creature. Her eyes widened.

"What… what is that?!"

They heard a sadistic laugh.

"Oh, nothing too special, really. Just a girl who's lost her only friend, and will do whatever it takes to get him back!"

They turned their heads to see a woman laying sideways on a pillar. She had blonde hair, ice blue eyes, and a most sadistic expression. Clearly, she was enjoying the scene of watching the agents run in terror and the overall destruction. This horrified Christina, and angered Astrid.

"How can you just simply watch this massacre scene and enjoy it?!"

The figure rolled her eyes, and laughed again.

"Why should I care about a bunch of worthless little insects who can't do anything but provide a bit of entertainment? That's all they're really good for! Hahaha!"

Christina looked at Astrid, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?!"

"There's no use trying to reason with her. She's a grade-A sadist. She _enjoys_ watching people suffer, and there's all sorts of reasons that could be the case. She won't listen to anything we say."

The figure narrowed her eyes upon seeing Alexander and Odin on Astrid and Christina's shoulders, respectively.

_Oh… today is richer than I thought it would be… _

She sat up, and crossed her legs.

"Tell you what… I'll make you a deal."

Astrid glared at the figure incredulously. She held up a dark-looking Gate Card.

"Let's play a little game of cards! You win, I back off for now. I win… well, I think you can put two and two together, right?"

The two looked at each other.

"It's probably the safest way to stop her. Let's go with it." Christina said.

"I hope you're right." Astrid said.

The two looked back at the assailant.

"We accept your challenge!" Astrid yelled.

"Hehe! I thought you might!"

The figure leapt down from her high perch, pulling on a dark-looking Shooter. Astrid and Christina put on the Shooters they had gotten from Serah earlier on. The three of them pulled out their respective Gate Cards-Christina and the figure Haos, and Astrid Ventus.

"Bakugan, Field OPEN!" They all exclaimed in tandem.


	10. Chapter 10: Capture Card

Chapter 10: Capture Card

Reality came to a stop as the field of battle opened. The figure smirked evilly as she threw a strange card neither Christina nor Astrid had seen before. It was dark and ominous in appearance, with a strange magic net-like emblem on the back.

"Capture Card, set!"

It caused a larger version of the symbol that was on the back of it to appear on the field in dark purple, before fading.

"Now, _let's begin~!_" She mocked. Astrid just got a bit angrier, and one could see traces of lightning arcing across her right hand. Christina grabbed her shoulder, and the half-Asgardian let it go… for the moment, at the least.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Haos Negative Tigrerra!" The mysterious Brawler exclaimed.

_Haos Negative Tigrerra G-Power 340_

"Here I go! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Fear Ripper, tear them asunder!" Astrid exclaimed.

_Ventus Fear Ripper G-Power 380_

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Haos Juggernoid!" Christina exclaimed.

_Haos Juggernoid G-Power 330_

"You made a mistake landing on my Gate Card, Windy. Ability Activate! Crystal Fang!" The mysterious Brawler said, activating her Ability Card.

_Haos Negative Tigrerra G-Power 420_

"A mistake? A child of Asgard does _not_ make mistakes! Ability Activate! Slash Zero!" Astrid replied incredulously, quickly going for a counter.

_Ventus Fear Ripper G-Power 460_

"Just like I planned… Even as a halfie, you're just as _stupid_ as your daddy! Gate Card, Open!" The mysterious Brawler mocked. Astrid growled.

_Haos Negative Tigrerra G-Power 470_

With the Gate Card now open, her Tigrerra extended her fangs, and chomped down on Fear Ripper, causing it to return to its ball form, but instead of returning to Astrid, it went to the mysterious Brawler.

"You thief! Give me back my Bakugan!" Astrid demanded.

"Sorry, Halfie, but it's mine now. With the Capture Card in play, we're playing for keeps. In other words, you're in the big leagues now." The mysterious Brawler explained in a sing-song tone of voice. One could feel Astrid's building rage.

"You will sincerely regret mocking the daughter of the _Crown Prince of Asgard_! I _will_ get Fear Ripper back! Gate Card, Set!" Astrid roared, throwing the Gate Card with more rage than usual.

"Scary!" Christina whispered.

"Well, let's see how you brawl, windy!" The mysterious Brawler said while smirking evilly.

"Oh, you think that you can defeat the daughter of Thor?" Astrid asked.

"I've done it before, haven't I, oh great and glorious one? Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Haos Mantris!" The mysterious Brawler replied, mocking Astrid.

_Haos Mantris G-Power 340_

"It isn't over until the last bell tolls! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, stand! Ventus Saurus!" Astrid replied sharply.

_Ventus Saurus G-Power 350_

"Gate Card, Open! Triple Battle!" Astrid exclaimed, adding dramatic flair with her body. A rainbow-like wall appeared, blocking Mantris from attacking Saurus.

"This Gate Card stops you from attacking until a third Bakugan is thrown is. Christina! It's all yours!" Astrid explained, motioning to Christina. The latter nodded.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Haos Siege!" Christina exclaimed.

_Haos Siege G-Power 360_

Right there and then, both Siege and Saurus teamed up to defeat Mantris, and once they did, they returned to their respective Brawlers without the effect of the Capture Card taking them.

"Nice one, but I'm still going to win and take your Bakugan!" She hissed.

"Gate Card, Set! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Haos Monarus!" The mysterious Brawler exclaimed.

_Haos Monarus G-Power 330_

Something then struck them as a sort of bad feeling. She set down a Gate Card, but set her Monarus on a different one then the one she set down. They figured that she was planning to bait them onto the first card, but it wasn't going to work, or so they thought.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Saurus!" Astrid exclaimed.

_Ventus Saurus G-Power 350_

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Go, Haos Siege!" Christina added.

_Haos Siege G-Power 360_

"Right where I wanted you~! Ability Activate! Crimson Twister!" The mysterious Brawler said, taunting them and wagging her finger. Christina's Juggernoid then moved to the Gate Card that Astrid's Saurus was on, only for the Gate Card to explode! As a result, Juggernoid and Saurus were captured by the effect of the Capture Card, even though Monarus was defeated in battle by Siege.

"I don't believe this! She took my Bakugan!" Astrid roared, on the verge of tears of fury.

_"Do not give into rage, milady."_ Odin said as he flew up to Astrid, landing on her shoulder.

_"He is right. Her only Bakugan is Negative Tigrerra."_ Alexander added.

"They're right. We can win this." Christina said with a determined look on her face. Astrid nodded.

"Yeah, and I think I know how." Astrid said, with her confidence renewed. She then whispered her plan into Christina's ear, and she nodded her head.

"Got it. Gate Card, Set! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Haos Alexander!" Christina exclaimed.

_Haos Alexander G-Power 400_

"And now the party is starting! Ooohhh, I can feel the excitement tingling all over my body~! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Haos Negative Tigrerra!" The mysterious Brawler chirped.

_Haos Negative Tigrerra G-Power 340_

"Gate Card, Open! Quartet Battle!" Christina said, adding a bit of flair by throwing her hand up. Odin and Siege were surrounded in a rainbow-like light and appeared on the battlefield.

_Haos Siege G-Power 360_

_Ventus Odin G-Power 410_

"I don't care if it's three against one! I'm going to win this! Ability Activate! Cut in Slayer!" The mysterious Brawler snapped.

_Haos Negative Tigrerra G-Power 680_

"No you don't! Ability Activate! Steelcrusher!" Christina chained. Alexander then made a sort of groan as he glowed with the standard Haos aura and nullified Tigrerra's ability.

"This is for the Bakugan you took from me! Ability Activate! Flourish of Steel!" Astrid roared. Odin then raised his gigantic s-shaped sword, and with the sword, he slashed at Tigrerra with petals dancing around them with each strike of his majestic blade, making it seem like he was dancing.

_Haos Negative Tigrerra G-Power 240_

With those attacks, Tigrerra was returned to ball form, and the mysterious Brawler looked both shocked and had a look of disbelief as she lost the Brawl. She clenched her fists, and shook them. Reality returned, and sparks flew around her hands. She called forth two sets of kunai, one in each hand. She charged them with lightning.

"Ohhh… I'll get those precious Bakugan of yours next time! You'll sincerely regret the day you went against me, the Savage Nymph of the Black Empire!" She cried, throwing the electrified kunai at them. The explosion that resulted destroyed a small part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, and when the smoke cleared, the strange woman was gone, along with her kunai.

"Savage Nymph? That sounds more like a title than a name…" Astrid trailed.

"And I've got a bad feeling about this 'Black Empire' she mentioned…" Christina added.

"_She targeted both Alexander and I. There is no doubt in my mind that she will target Brynhildr and the Shiva Sisters as well." _Odin pointed out.

"That means that both Serah and Katrina are on her hit list as well!" Christina realized.

"We must inform them at once-"

Astrid was cut off by a terrifying roar.

"Right after we deal with the rampaging beast."

Astrid brought her sword to bare. Christina got out her version of the trademark family shield.

"Let's do this." Christina said.


	11. Chapter 11: Family

Chapter 11: Family

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: For future reference, any non-English languages will be bolded. Most of the time, it will be Russian. Enjoy the fic.<strong>

* * *

><p>Astrid led the charge. She tore off in the direction of the rampaging beast, and struck it, grabbing its attention. Meanwhile, Christina put her shield up, safely escorting everyone else, save Serah and Katrina, out. Serah immediately got the hint, and put on her Flame Valkyrie armor. Katrina was always ready for combat; this philosophy having been drilled into her by her mother. The four stood in front of the beast.<p>

"Alright, call it, lil' Cap!" Serah said.

"Now that everyone's evacuated, we can go all out. Katrina, you go prepare a containment cell, just in case things go south."

Katrina nodded, and ran off.

"Serah, you've got the primary air. Use everything you've got from above to weaken the thing. Also, take me up top so I can call patterns."

"Got it!" Serah acknowledged, flying up and taking Christina with her.

"Astrid, keep its attention diverted towards you. You've got the stamina, strength, and powers to do that."

Astrid nodded, and immediately went all-out on the creature. Combining her inhuman strength, swordsmanship, and electrokinesis, she managed to keep the creature's focus on her. Serah bombarded it from above with everything she had, ranging from explosive missiles that, while they looked small, they were actually quite potent, to her trademark fire blasts. Christina watched the battle, and immediately radioed Katrina.

"How's our backup plan going?" Christina asked.

"I just finished it!" Katrina replied.

"Then get back here and join the fight! The thing's getting weaker-what the hell?!"

When a combined blast from Astrid's lightning and Serah's flames struck the creature, a massive, fiery explosion resulted. Christina shielded herself. Serah's armor kept the air clean inside it, and it was fireproof, so she just flew around the shrapnel. Katrina managed to hide behind a bulletproof wall. But when the smoke cleared… well, the situation was more strange, to say the least.

* * *

><p>The parents of the four Brawlers were currently enjoying a nice time together, not too far off-base when they bore witness to the explosion. The feeling was mutual-worry and horror. How it was expressed… that was something else entirely.<p>

Thor didn't hesitate for two seconds. He put firm hands on Jane, a wordless order to stay put being given, brought his trademark hammer to bare, and flew off towards the base. Natasha and Clint got on the motorcycle they had borrowed, and went at top-speed towards the base, Natasha cursing in her native Russian the whole way. Steve grabbed his shield, and, while deflecting bits of shrapnel, ran towards the flaming base. Tony took off in his suit, destroying any metal in his way.

They forced their way in, fighting off anything in their path. The smoke was becoming more prevalent as they continued fighting in. Tony managed to reunite with Serah in the middle of the sky, the two embracing mid-air, in their armors.

"Serah! You're alive! God, you scared me!" Tony said.

"Dad, I'm good in my armor. I think I'll need a recharge soon, but I'm not hurt." Serah assured. Tony nodded in agreement, and led her back to Stark Tower.

"**Katrina! Katrina! Damn it, Katrina! Where are you?!" **Natasha yelled, in fluent Russian. Katrina coughed in response. Natasha tore through the burning building without a care in the world. She grabbed her daughter, and barely managed to escape in time with Clint.

"Christina! You're safe! Thank God!" Steve cried, jumping up to Christina's perch. She nodded.

"Yea…. Somehow, we managed to win… But I can't see Astrid anywhere!" She said breathlessly.

"Thor's going to throw a fit over that, I'm sure…" Steve said in turn, picking his child up. He leapt from the high point, landing safely on the ground.

"ASTRID!" Thor boomed, tearing through anything in his path. He was so blinded by rage, despair, and fear that he couldn't think straight. He would stop at nothing to protect his child. After all, Asgardians rarely bore children, and he was the Crown Prince. Even if he _did_ fall in love with a Midgardian and end up getting involved with Midgard in ways he never thought he would, that thought was still on his mind. He would not lose his precious child to a burning building, so help him God!

He threw burning, twisted metal aside. He used his power to blow away flames. By the time he'd found her… he was horrified at what he saw. His eyes widened.

She was impaled in many places by the burning, twisted metal. Her mixed blood dripped from every spot where her body was pierced. The burning shrapnel held her to the remnants of a wall like prison chains. Her head hung loosely; her body battered and burned by the fire and the disaster wrought henceforth. Thor's eyes began to water.

"ASTRID!" He cried. She sputtered blood in response, indicating that she was alive. He didn't hesitate in getting her down from her burning chains and flying her to the nearest Midgardian hospital. He didn't care what stormy weather he left in his wake as he burst into the emergency room.

Words weren't needed. One look at her body and anyone could guess that, at the very least, she'd been to hell and back. They rushed her back, and it took almost every guard and the entirety of the Avengers to hold back the furious Thunder God.

Everyone knew that new children on Asgard were a momentous occurrence. Thor's rage was certainly understandable and righteous. Everyone had to restrain him and convince him to just let the doctors and surgeons work on her undisturbed. Still, he refused to leave the hospital room. Jane had come to join him, and the words weren't needed. She was certainly just as concerned and upset, but Thor had the most rage and despair. She could only hold his hand and silently pray.

"Umm… Dr. Foster and Mr. Odinson?" A nurse asked nervously. Jane looked up, but Thor darted at her, dragging Jane with him, driving the latter into full-on panic mode.

"Do you herald news of my daughter's health?!" He demanded. The nurse looked at him with fearful, wide eyes. Jane tugged at Thor.

"Hey, calm down! You're scaring her!" Jane told him. He growled, but released the nurse.

"U-uhh…. Y-Yea… she made it through surgery alright. She's still out because of the sedative and pain meds, but the doctors all think that she'll come out of this okay…" She said, stuttering at the beginning.

"That is grand news, healer! Where does she rest as of now?" Thor asked, cheering up.

"Ummm… Follow me…"

The nurse led the Asgardian prince and his beloved down the halls to Astrid's room, where she was currently in a deep slumber, no doubt in Jane's mind because of the sedative and pain meds. All manner of monitors, IVs, and breathing systems were connected to her, save things that were used only for comatose patients. Stitches and tape of all kinds covered her body, much to Thor's despair-driven horror. He ran and sat near her.

"Excuse me, healer. I desire to be alone with my child." He said sternly. Jane nodded and led the nurse outside of the room, talking with her. Thor finally broke down, taking the sleeping Astrid's hand in his own. He brought it to his forehead, closing his eyes and actually _crying._

"Forgive me, my beloved daughter… It is my fault…"


	12. Chapter 12: A Father's Sorrow

Chapter 12: A Father's Sorrow

Though the other Avengers' children had been spared, for the most part, Astrid had taken the heavy blow. Christina, Katrina, and Serah all escaped with minor scratches, bruises, and some traces of smoke inhalation. Katrina admitted that Astrid had shoved her out of the way just as the building gave, knowing her half-Asgardian body had the highest chance of surviving an assault of twisted, burning metal from all over. Thor had been inseperable from his child, and still was as she slept peacefully, about half of the tape and a quarter of the stitches removed by now.

He was spending the time watching over her. He was always apologizing to her vehemently, blaming himself for her current state. He was constantly holding her hand, and refused to leave her side. Though Jane visited constantly, she knew that the essentials had to come from elsewhere, so she kept on working. Any number of her friends would visit from time to time. Today was no exception.

Jane was working in her lab, her heart heavy with concern for the still-sleeping Astrid. Thor was still at her side, holding her hand. His refusal to leave her side was attributed to the fact that Asgardians rarely bore children. Any parent would be concerned about their child in such a state, but for someone who was not only a member of a race who rarely had kids but was the _crown prince_ of said race... well, his concern was understandable.

Anyone seeing their own child covered in medical tape and stitches would be upset. A number of IVs provided nutrition and medication. All sorts of little patches and things were attached to Astrid's body so her vitals could be monitored. Though she wasn't comatose, her body still needed help with breathing. So, a specially-designed system was in place, but all Thor could understand regarding that was that an unnatural tube was shoved down his sleeping daughter's throat. And he could do nothing about _any of it._

"Why…" He muttered to himself, closing his eyes, forcing back tears, and clenching his fist.

* * *

><p>"My king, the Princess's condition has not changed."<p>

Odin sat on his throne, eyes focused.

"And what of my son, Gatekeeper? Does he still remain at her side?" He asked.

"Yes, my lord. He seems determined to stay with her."

Odin sighed.

"I now know what I must do. Heimdall, prepare the Bifrost."

"Milord, are you implying-"

"Yes. I believe that it is high time for me to visit my son and granddaughter. I cannot just stand idly by in this time of great despair."

With that, Heimdall left the Throne Room. Odin nodded at his beloved Frigga, and she took the cue. He sighed as she left the Throne Room. It didn't take long for the King and Queen of Asgard to get ready and arrive in Heimdall's observatory. He looked at the royal pair, and nodded.

"Whenever you both are ready, the Bifrost is prepared."

"Thank you, Heimdall." Frigga said gently. The centuries-old Gatekeeper opened the mystical rainbow portal, and, focusing on where they wanted to go, both of them stepped through.

* * *

><p>"How could I have let this happen to you, my beloved daughter? Even with all my power, I can do nothing but watch as you sleep... I pray that you are at least seeing beautiful dreams in your sleep..." Thor said quietly, not exactly a whisper, but not his usual tone either. Astrid's still and calm body told the Thunder God nothing. His only company was the sleeping girl and the incessant beeping from the various monitors in the room. What each and every noise meant eluded him, providing no solace or consolation to the worried father.<p>

The doctors had told him that Astrid was recovering well, but her body had taken quite a beating. Even considering that she was half-Asgardian, it wasn't exactly the best situation. He gently stroked her cheek, brushing his large fingers against skin and medical tape. He was focused on her, and and it seemed like nothing would change soon-

_BOOM! _

His head snapped towards the direction of the window. There was was a lot of dust, so he couldn't see what was going on. He tensed, and willed Mjolnir into his hand. He was going to protect Astrid with everything he had, against any threat, or else he would let the world know what it was like to face the wrath of the God of Thunder!

* * *

><p>Katrina was walking towards the hospital to go visit Astrid. She was still armed, always carrying a well-concealed knife and pistol, along with a just-as-well-concealed pair of Widow's Bites. Her mother had drilled the philosophy of always being well-armed no matter where she went, and Katrina always trusted the Russian woman.<p>

So, when she heard a resounding _BOOM_ not too far from the hospital and promptly saw a massive dust cloud, she grabbed her pistol in one hand, knife in the other, activated the Widow's Bites, and prepared for the worst. Finger on the trigger, hold on knife tight as could be, the Bites sparking… she was ready to take down an army if need be. When the dust cloud cleared… she didn't know what to make of what she saw.

Two people were standing there, clearly very aged. One was a woman, clad in simple but elegant robes that looked very… well, _medieval_ was the only word that Katrina could think of. Light armor protected her body, for what it was worth. The other, who was clearly a man, was well-armored, holding a lance of some kind, and was missing a _freaking eye._ It was covered by the strangest eyepatch she'd ever seen. She chuckled a bit as a small thought of Director Fury flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook it off as she tried to judge whether they were friend or foe, and if the latter was the case, how to take them down with the least risk possible.

They walked towards the hospital, and Katrina grew even more tense.


	13. Chapter 13: A Family of Gods

Chapter 13: A Family of Gods

The two continued to walk towards the hospital, but Katrina stood in front of them. The man stared at her incredulously. She glared back at him.

"Stand aside, child!" He ordered.

"I don't take orders from strangers who wear armor and hold lances!" She snapped.

"Why you-!" He began, picking up his lance. The woman put her hand on his, shaking her head.

"Now, Odin, what good would a fight do us here? We are not here to cause harm to an innocent Midgardian! We are here to see our granddaughter and aid our family in their darkest hour!" She scolded gently. He relaxed, loosening the grip on his lance.

"You are right… But, still, just who is this Midgardian, and why does she stand in our way?"

Katrina looked at them as if they were high.

"Odin? The hell-You know what, I've got too many questions." Katrina said, a bit irritated, pulling out her phone. As she began tapping on it, the woman walked over, curious.

"Do tell me… what are you doing with this strange… thing?" She asked.

"Umm… It's a cell phone. I'm sending texts to all my friends to get over here, and then I'm calling my parents."

"Texts? Cell phone? I have never heard of these things."

"...You talk like Thor. This is just too weird."

Odin's eyes widened.

"You know my son?"

Katrina nearly dropped her phone.

"Your… _WHAT?!"_

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Christina and Serah to arrive, along with the majority of the Avengers. Thor was still in the hospital, and Bruce was nowhere to be seen, but no one really asked questions about that. He was kind of… a shy and nervous guy, so no one got concerned unless he "went all enormous green rage monster" to quote either Serah or Tony. But the arrival of the whole gang only caused a massive discussion to arise.<p>

Odin and Frigga (as they had since revealed themselves to be named) were in awe and wonder about Tony and Serah's suits, asking questions to the ends of the Earth. It was to be expected-almost every Asgardian who had met Tony referred to him as the "Man of Iron", so he was expecting it. But that was only the beginning.

They then made it clear what their intentions were-to see Astrid. Although Steve and Christina were all for it, Natasha, Clint, and Katrina had their doubts. It took a good three hours at the least (most of it getting information so the King and Queen of Asgard could be put in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s expansive database) before everyone was _finally _in agreement, and the pair of gods were _finally_ allowed to go see their granddaughter.

Per their request, they were allowed to go see the slumbering Astrid by themselves. Thor's eyes widened when he saw them. He was rendered utterly speechless by their presence. They, in turn, were rendered speechless upon seeing Astrid's weakened form. Frigga walked over to the sleeping girl, and ran the back of her hand against Astrid's face, a worried expression on her face.

"Just what in the Nine Realms has transpired to leave her in such a weakened state?" He asked quietly.

"...I know not of the full extent of what transpired, but the small fortress she was in apparently exploded. Though her friends remained mostly unharmed, she took almost the entire force of the explosion upon herself to protect them." Thor replied, looking at his child with an expression of concern.

"But… why? Even a child knows what would happen if they purposely stood in the path of an exploding fortress!"

"Perhaps it is because she is my daughter. She knew that her body would have the highest chance of surviving such a brutal assault."

"...She cares so much for her companions that she is willing to sacrifice _her own life_ for their sake...Truly, she is a compassionate young lady."

"Indeed. Jane has taught her well in that aspect of life."

While Odin and Thor were discussing Astrid, Frigga was sitting by her side, continuing to stroke her cheek ever-so-gently. Eventually, she moved on to hold her hand for a while. The kind Queen was silent, for the most part, but still made her sorrow and worry known by refusing to leave Astrid's side and continuing to be gentle in touch.

When she resumed the gentle stroking of her cheek, she heard a soft moan. With almost everyone in the room being pure-blooded Asgardians, the soft moan was heard. They looked at each other for a moment.

Thor hadn't made the noise.

Odin most _certainly_ was not the source of the noise.

Frigga wasn't behind it either.

Another soft moan was heard, and then, underneath Frigga's hand, Astrid's head began to move. The royal family watched in pure shock and awe as Astrid's head moved from side to side a few times, before she blinked, and finally regained at least some degree of consciousness.

It was then that Astrid began making half-muffled sputtering noises. Although both Odin and Thor were about ready to rush to her side and remove the tube in her throat, a nurse happened to be in the right place at the right time, and sprinted in front of them. Nervously, she stood in front of them.

"Please, Mr. Odinson and… well, whoever you are, sir, let me remove the breathing tube! If it's done wrong, you could inflict serious harm on the patient!" She begged. Both men's eyes narrowed, but a silent nod from Odin eased some of the tension. The nurse then went over towards the side that Frigga was sitting on. Having heard it all, she got up and moved out of the way.

The royal Asgardian family watched the nurse closely, Frigga out of curiousity, Odin and Thor out of worry, as she began carefully removing the breathing tube. They watched as each strip of medical tape was removed, before she finally took out the tube itself. Astrid sputtered a bit before her breathing returned to a normal pace. The nurse, seeing the family's eyes beginning to water, quietly excused herself.

Astrid first saw her father, and smiled softly at him. She then turned her head to Odin and Frigga. Her eyes widened, and she tensed a bit. No one expected her to do what she did.

She screamed.


	14. Chapter 14: Odin, Meet Odin

Chapter 14: Odin, Meet Odin.

Astrid's eyes were as wide as could be. She'd just cheated death, and now, there were two strangers in her room? And why was her Dad talking to them like he _knew_ them?! She clenched her fists nervously, forgetting for a moment that her Bakugan was in her right fist. He reminded her by squirming until she loosened her grip. She placed him on her lap, as he regained his breath.

"_Milady… Please, in the future, try to refrain from suffocating me!" _He said breathlessly. The pure-blooded Asgardians in the room looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Astrid flinched.

"Way to go, genius! You just revealed yourself to my dad and whoever the hell these people are!" She hissed quietly, right into her longtime partner's ear.

"_My apologies… but you WERE crushing the air out of my lungs! I could not breathe!" _He apologized. Astrid sighed. Thor turned to face his daughter.

"Astrid? You know of what is speaking? And you speak to it?" He asked.

"Yes, I do know WHO is speaking, and I am speaking to HIM." Astrid replied, correcting the Thunder God. He folded his arms.

"Excuse me… then _who_ is speaking, and where is he?"

"He's right here."

Astrid raised up her beloved partner as high as she could. Thor bent down, and narrowed his eyes at the small sphere.

"...How does this sphere talk?"

He jumped back as the Ventus Bakugan opened, focusing on him.

"_I am not just a simple sphere, sir. I am a Bakugan." _

Frigga was immediately fascinated by the creature, and swept him up in her hands. She smiled at him.

"And just what in the Nine Realms is a… what did you say you were again, small creature?" She asked gently.

"_I am a Bakugan, milady. We are from another world, and there are many other Bakugan of all kinds, gifted with powers all their own. As I am of the Ventus Attribute, I draw from the fierce storms for power on the battlefield." _

"Incredible… What is your name?"

"_I am the Thunder Warrior, Odin." _

Frigga's eyes widened, and Odin (the Asgardian) stared at Odin (the Bakugan) incredulously. He walked over to Odin (the Bakugan), and narrowed his eyes at the Bakugan, looking down upon the valiant warrior.

"You say your name is Odin?" The ages-old king asked.

"_Yes. It is." _

"You should know that _my_ name is Odin, and I refuse to let my name be borne by one so _small _and so-"

"Stop insulting him!"

Odin (the Asgardian) turned sharply towards the source of the voice. It was a furious Astrid. His cold and focused gaze turned to her.

"Have you even the foggiest idea of who it is you speak to?!" He demanded.

"It's true that I don't know who you are, but anyone who insults my friends at all, _especially_ for things they can't help… I can't forgive them! It's not Odin's fault that he's like that right now! All Bakugan are like that when they're not being sent out in a Brawl! If you were to see him in his true form… massive, glorious, bursting with incredible power… you'd shut up in an instant!" Astrid snapped, face bursting with fury. Thor, Frigga, and Odin (the Bakugan) were nervous as the half-Asgardian and the pure-blooded Asgardian were glaring at each other, seemingly ready to end each other's lives then and there.

The tension in the air was thick. The silence was painful for the Thunder Prince and his mother, along with Astrid's beloved partner. At the same time, it was a battlefield for the centuries-old god and the Ventus Brawler. None of the observers could discern what either of them were thinking. Odin (the God) finally sighed and broke the silence. He brought his hand to his head, shaking the latter.

"And _this_ is my granddaughter. She has your stubbornness, my son." He said. Thor chuckled a bit.

"But her mother has made sure that it has not transformed into foolish arrogance." Thor added. It was the elder man's turn to chuckle a bit.

"Is that so? I will admit that the Lady Jane _has_ proven herself a standout amongst Midgardians." He admitted.

"Perhaps it is nigh time that young Astrid learned of her father's birthplace." Frigga suggested.

"In her current state, mother?! She would not survive a moment travelling through the Bifrost-Astrid!" Thor began, before noticing that Astrid's eyes had gone swirly. Frigga placed a gentle hand on Astrid's forehead.

"She does not have a fever. I believe that she just simply fainted." The goddess concluded. Thor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the Nine Realms…" He said, plopping down in a chair.

"_She fainted… grand. Lady Serah will never let this go…" _Odin (the Bakugan) droned. The ruling couple raised an eyebrow.

"Who is this Lady Serah you speak of?" Odin (the King) asked.

"Ah, you mean the daughter of the Man of Iron, correct?" Thor answered.

"_Yes, indeed. She possesses a friend of mine, Brynhildr." _Odin (the Bakugan) confirmed. Odin (the God) put his hand to his head.

"By all the Nine Realms… Something tells me that there is a long story surrounding you, all of your kind, and much more concerning those affairs." He droned.

"_There is, sir. Perhaps we should request the aid of the Lady Sif in explaining this?" _The Ventus Bakugan proposed.

"Lady Sif? What does she know?" Frigga asked, a hint of shock in her voice.

"_That is a tale in and of itself. It is indirectly thanks to her that Lady Astrid and I were even able to meet." _

Both the King and Queen let out a long sigh.

"I think it goes without saying that we have a whole collection of tales to hear." Thor summarized. The Ventus Bakugan chuckled a bit.

"_Yes. There is much to be told." _He confirmed.

"I do desire to see the friends that my beloved granddaughter has made in this Realm for myself." Odin (the King) announced, though not loudly.

"I do as well. Her friends may some day end up saving the Nine Realms… for only fate herself knows." Frigga added. Her lover simply sighed, not wanting to admit it, but knowing that, deep within his heart, Frigga was right.


	15. Chapter 15: My Friends

Chapter 15: My Friends

The Avengers weren't too concerned about how to handle Thor's parents. Bring them to Stark Tower, chatting with them up the yin-yang about things, and enjoy a big dinner with the Asgardians. The heroes had it covered. Their kids, on the other hand? Well… that was a different story that was mostly improvised.

Katrina and Astrid were pretty cool, being involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. and having them as your family, respectively. Katrina was professional, only speaking when necessary. She was helping her parents write data files for the two Asgardians, being able to spend more time with them. Astrid was guiding them to their rooms, explaining everything along the way…. and by that, we mean _everything. _

Though several of the bases had already been covered and her grandfather was silent for the most part, Astrid still had to figure out how to explain the things that that she used _day to day_ to the royal family! She knew that Frigga hadn't meant to make her brain hurt, but Astrid knew that she was going to need a good long break after this little tour. It was _somewhat _comforting that the gentle goddess was writing it all down.

They soon arrived at the temporary living arrangement Tony had made for them, and that was the end of the tour, for now. Although the goddess really did want to head back home after they had seen Astrid return to full strength, Frigga relented when Odin made it very clear that he wanted to see his namesake Bakugan in battle. So, he had made Astrid swear to him that she would let him know when she would Brawl next.

Serah chose to just focus on maintaining things, more fascinated with the tech that came with them than the Asgardians themselves. She was now intently studying Gungnir (after much convincing by several parties and a swearing that she wouldn't alter it so that the King would let it go), recording everything she could learn about it in on a tablet with aid from Claire. Per her family's request, she kept a safe distance from the spear when testing its combat abilities so as to not have a misfire incident.

Christina, on the other hand, was nervous as could be. Sure, she was pretty familiar with Thor, so she had a somewhat-decent idea of how Asgardians acted and the like, but these two weren't just her friend Thor, Astrid, or any number of citizens. No, these two were the _King and Queen of Asgard! _She may be the daughter of Captain America himself, but she wasn't sure about how to deal with royalty at all, let alone people who were once worshipped as _gods! _

So, when Astrid told Christina that her grandparents had been settled into their shared room, Christina _finally_ relaxed, sliding down into the couch. She laid her head back, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. She let her body sprawl on Tony's couch, closing her eyes.

"That was awkward. I'm glad _that's_ over, at least for now." She said breathlessly. Astrid puffed.

"Tell me something I don't know. I mean, at least my dad is _somewhat_ familiar with modern tech, but those two… don't even get me started!" She agreed, flopping down on the couch next to her best friend. Christina looked at Astrid for a moment, before looking at the ceiling.

"That whole healing factor thing really pays off at times, doesn't it?" She asked. Astrid simply smiled.

"It sure as hell helped this time. I'm completely fixed up, thanks to it." The Ventus Brawler admitted. Christina then spotted the royal Asgardian family (and Jane as well), standing there. The Haos Brawler took that as her cue, and left. Astrid was confused, until she saw her family. She bit her lip.

_I should've seen this coming… _She thought as they all stood there. Astrid didn't know what to say. The tension in the air was thick. The silence was painful for everyone, burning, even. Then, finally, Jane broke the silence.

"What the _hell_ were you _thinking?!_ You could've gotten yourself _killed!_" She demanded. Astrid began to shift back.

"Your mother has a valid point, Astrid. You willingly put your life in danger!" Thor added. The half-Asgardian looked down.

"And for what-mortals who will, at best, _maybe_ live as half as long as you?! Are their lives-" Odin began.

"SHUT UP!" Astrid snapped, on the verge on tears. She was furious and deeply upset all at the same time. Odin shifted a bit, taken aback by his granddaughter's sudden outburst. She stood up, storming up to the man. Although being shorter and younger than him, she looked at him with burning, teary eyes and clenched fists.

"I KNOW WHAT THE HELL I DID! I KNEW THE RISKS! BUT MY FRIENDS ARE EVERYTHING TO ME!" She began.

"Astrid-" Odin tried to say before being cut off again.

"SAVE IT! YES, THEY WON'T LIVE AS LONG AS I WILL! YES, THEY'RE HUMAN! BUT THEY ARE _MY FRIENDS!_ I TOOK THE RISK BECAUSE I _FREAKING CARED ABOUT THEM!_ IF YOU CAN'T RESPECT THAT ABOUT ME, THEN KINDLY GET THE HELL _OUT OF MY LIFE, YOU ARROGANT, SELFISH, IDIOT!"_ She screamed in a fit of teary rage, storming off.

Odin was completely and utterly _stunned. _She wasn't _nearly _as skilled as he was in any shape or form, yet she'd just screamed at him like she was _above him! _Sure, without Gungnir, he was a bit less intimidating, but still...

"Damnit. We just made a big mistake." Jane realized.

"Indeed we did." Thor added.

"And what mistake would that be, my son?" Odin asked.

"We just shot her down, hard." Jane replied.

"Her friends mean everything to her, father. She cared about them to the point of self - sacrifice. And we just attacked her for it." Thor added. Thor's little addition stung his parents. They hadn't _meant_ to verbally attack their granddaughter. They didn't want to hurt her at all.

Odin felt like an idiot after a moment. She'd spent her whole life on Midgard-of course her Midgardian friends would mean everything to her! Why hadn't he thought of that?! She knew that she was no ordinary girl, but she'd never once seen the land from which her father came! She didn't know anything of it, and hadn't made any friends there! Sure, she knew Lady Sif, but she didn't know the warrior maiden very well at all!

"I will go speak to her."

Frigga's words broke Odin out of his thoughts. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I doubt she would take kindly to seeing you right now. Certainly you can understand why?"

He nodded. Thor thought for a moment.

"Man Without A Body?" He wondered out loud.

"_Yes, Mr. Odinson?" _

Both Frigga and Odin were startled. Jane couldn't resist a slight chuckle.

"Who is there?! Show yourself!" Odin demanded, tense.

"_You have no need to panic, sir. I am JARVIS, an electronic butler created by Master Stark." _

"A… what?"

"_Electronic butler. I do not have a physical body, but I was created so that I could aid Master Stark, and, by extent, any of the Tower's residents." _

He thought for a moment. Astrid had explained to him that the massive structure had very advanced technology, powered by "electricity", so it made sense to him. Even if he had no body, his presence in the Tower was "electronic", so he could control the various technologies.

_Truly amazing, indeed. _He thought.

"Very well, Man Without A Body. Would you be so kind as to enlighten us on the affairs concerning our granddaughter?" Frigga asked.

"_She is in her guest room, currently observing a figure skater/singer known as Starlight Siren." _JARVIS replied. Deciding to ignore what they didn't understand, as they were certain it was nothing more than petty Midgardian things, the two thought. However, one thing bugged the Asgardians.

"Who is this 'Starlight Siren' you speak of, Man Without A Body?" Thor asked.

"_To summarize, she is a young, gifted singer/figure skater who is quite popular. She is famous for being loving to her fans, especially to those that are ill. She is also well-renowned for her skill in Bakugan Brawling and lack of memories from her younger childhood." _JARVIS summarized. The small group was horrified.

"I'm sorry, JARVIS, but did you just say _lack of memories_ from her younger childhood?!" Jane asked, horror evident in her voice.

"Yes. She has admitted in many interviews that she has no recollection of her life before her high-school graduation. She constantly keeps record of her life since then, just to be safe." The A.I. confirmed.

"That is truly a pity… Perhaps Astrid likes her because she can understand being different, not because of her music." Thor wondered.

"Perhaps so. I would hope to some day meet this 'Starlight Siren', and learn about her." Odin said, keeping his voice calm.

"So would I, my love. So would I…" Frigga trailed.


	16. Chapter 16: Starlight Siren

Chapter 16: Starlight Siren

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Because writing out full-length original songs is extremely difficult, I will often use other songs as the Starlight Siren's songs. As always, I do not own any of it-I am simply doing this in the interest of saving time and headaches later on. The songs belong to their original owners, etc, etc. You get it. On with the fic!<strong>

* * *

><p>Night fell on New York City. As the sun set and the artificial lights began to flicker on en-masse, Odin and Frigga were awestruck. The King and Queen stood on the top of Stark Tower, joined by Jane and Thor.<p>

"This city's other name is certainly most fitting. Though the sun has set, it is certainly still very much active." Frigga said breathlessly.

"It truly _is_ The City That Never Sleeps." Odin added.

"Yup, and it's honestly a bit crazy for me. I'll live here when S.H.I.E.L.D. needs me to, but Thor and I agreed that New Mexico is much better." Jane said, folding her arms. Odin turned to face his son. Thor just grinned.

"Indeed. I quite like the relaxed, gentle nature there. I know there will be times when I must be a hero, but my Midgardian residence, for the most part, shall be with Jane, there." Thor added. Odin let out a long sigh.

"Truly, she has won your heart. I never thought that any one woman would be enough for you, let alone a Midgardian. But fate is a strange mistress that way, isn't she?" Odin admitted.

"That she is, father. I never would have foreseen it either… but I am most grateful that Jane and I are together." Thor confirmed, pulling Jane close. She responded by leaning against his massive body. His smile only got bigger. It was in this moment of tenderness that Frigga noticed something… or rather, the lack of something.

"Where is Astrid?" She asked.

* * *

><p>In the old theater house, there was practically no life. It hadn't been touched in years; having long-since been overshadowed by stages such as Broadway. Not many even remembered it existed. And that's how she liked it.<p>

Because it was still acoustically perfect and its piano was still in place, it was still great for singing in. Even if there wasn't a soul in the audience. If anything, she needed that right now. Even as the Starlight Siren, she was still a living being, but her supposed manager had long-since succumbed to lust and greed. So, she escaped him, knowing he'd get fired for losing her, and fled to the perfect old sanctuary. She didn't see anyone in the dark room as she slipped quietly to the piano, but she wasn't looking either.

She dusted the keys off, coughing a little bit as a pinch hit her nostrils. She placed a desk light onto the old piano, flicking it on. The Siren placed a sheet she'd written onto the sheet holder, and played a few simple chords to get herself up to speed. Once she was ready, she let herself loose.

_This life, it's not what it all seems to be_

_All I want is to be free_

_But I still have so much I have to do_

_And so little time left to do it all_

_You and me, two brothers brought together and torn apart by cruel fate_

_I don't truly want the throne. All I want is to not be alone._

_But you are better, his favorite, and I am alone._

_Are you the only one who cares for me, _

_even though I am a monster?_

_Please tell me that you care_

_It might take away some of my despair_

_You are my brother, no matter what I say_

_The truth, you know it best. I just want to be loved._

_So, please, take me, hold me, night and day_

_Won't you hold me, always?_

_You may be an idiot, but you certainly love me_

_Even though my skin is truly a deep and dark blue_

_What am I worth to a man as great_

_and glorious as you?_

_I don't want to be your shadow, but your equal_

_You understand, right? You certainly can overlook that?_

_I know that you have, and you most certainly will, brother._

_...Because you like me as me._

_Magic and strength, they work. Together, in beautiful harmony._

_You know this. So do I, brother. _

_I'm on the way_

_The way back home, to you._

_Won't you take me back with you?_

She finished singing the simple yet mournful melody, ending it with a beautiful minor chord. She had written it not long after the Attack on New York City, having somehow, for a moment, and _only _a moment, having vivid visions of what what she could only guess was a tormented soul. She couldn't make sense of any of it, but she didn't want to try to.

She pulled out a much more complicated score of music. It was clearly much longer; with many more pages, words, and notes. It was supposed to have other instruments with it as well. She looked at it. She'd written it for the same reason she'd written the previous song, but she hesitated for a moment as she thought back to the Attack.

The man she'd had visions of… he felt so somber, lonely, and regretful. Those feelings in and of themselves were enough to make her remember what she'd seen. But what really set his image into her mind was how _familiar_ his presence felt. It was such a… _strange_ feeling. She couldn't make sense of it. Somehow, she _knew_ him… but at the same time, she couldn't remember his name, and she didn't know his name!

However, soon, she glanced towards her phone, and realized that so much time had already passed. She needed to head back to her apartment and eat. She gathered her music and left the auditorium. As soon as she arrived at her apartment, she saw something left on her floormat. She knelt down, and, upon closer investigation….

She screamed.


	17. Chapter 17: Darkened Winds (Part 1)

Chapter 17: Darkened Winds (Part 1)

The next day came. The Royal Asgardian family was disheartened that Astrid had slipped out of the Tower without saying a word. Not even a small written note was left behind. Clearly, she was still quite furious at Odin, and had no intention of forgiving him any time soon. Frigga had advised him that trying to force it would only make her angrier, and that this kind of rage would only dissipate with time. He really, really, _really_ wanted to make amends with the girl who would be his son's heir (no doubt), but he knew that his love was right. So, he elected to learn more about the technologies within the "Tower of Stark", to quote him (and, by extent, many other Asgardians).

He was currently learning more about Tony's high-quality television. As he watched the news, he couldn't help but think of how many comparisons he could draw between the various monitors and his fiercely-loyal Gatekeeper, Heimdall. Perhaps it was because of the humans informing him of what was going on throughout Midgard (albeit from a Midgardian's point-of-view), or perhaps it was because of the fact that he could see it all, right in front of him. Either way, it was a marvel in and of itself.

"Enjoying my dad's stuff, I see!"

He turned sharply to see the daughter of the "Man of Iron" leaning over a counter, a large grin plastered on her face. She was holding a small black device, of which the ages-old king had seen many different versions of. Judging by the "headphones" attached to it, she was going to use it to listen to music. She chuckled.

"Not that I entirely blame you, old man. My dad invents stuff on a regular basis, and he's so loaded that we've always got the latest things! It's the best life!" She continued, waving her hand about. Odin was taken aback for a moment, but then he remembered that she _was_ the daughter of the Man of Iron. Like father, like daughter.

"You truly _are_ your father's daughter, Lady Serah. You even have his dry insults."

Serah burst into open laughter.

"Hahaha! Old man, get with the times!"

She fell over.

"Haha! I mean, I get that you're from Fantasyland and all of that, but… hahahaha…. Thunder Lord over there never told you anything? Haha! I mean, come on! At least _he_ knows how to use a toaster!" She laughed. Odin narrowed his gaze at her for a moment, but decided to ignore her and resume watching the news. Soon enough, Serah stopped laughing and returned to using her headphones.

"What is that?!"

The Asgardians in the room all focused on the television. Serah felt the tension rise, and pulled her headphones off, letting them rest on her shoulders. She walked over to the large screen set. On the screen, there was a smoking stage, people running about, and overall, a scene of chaos. Serah looked closely at the screen.

"World-famous 'Starlight Siren' concert in Miami, Florida attacked by unknown forces? How the hell could they _not _know who it was?! Almost anyone who'd want to kill her is on a list that they'd check!" Serah demanded incredulously.

"There is more! Look!" Thor insisted. Serah focused closer.

"Miraculously, the 'Starlight Siren' was saved by a… OH MY FREAKING GOD!" Serah realizing what was on the screen. Or rather, _who_ was on the screen.

* * *

><p>Astrid had quickly grabbed the Starlight Siren, and flown far away. The star in question was panicking and in complete and total freak out mode. They landed on a rooftop a good distance from the ruined stage, where Astrid set the Siren down. The bundle of nerves that was the music star rapidly scooted back.<p>

"Okay, thanks for saving my life, but just who are you?! How can you freaking FLY?!" She demanded, hyperventilating.

"My name is Astrid Foster. I can fly because... well, my dad's Thor, to keep it simple." Astrid explained calmly.

"Your dad's THOR?! As in Thor the AVENGER?! Oh, god, I... I-"

"Calm down, calm down! You're getting way too worked up!"

It took a good few minutes, but, finally, the Starlight Siren calmed down. Astrid sat next to the famous girl. The latter sighed, and then noticed Astrid's Bakugan container by her waistside. She smiled.

"Is that a Bakugan case?" She asked.

"Yea. I use the Ventus Attribute. Do you Brawl?" Astrid asked in turn.

"Sometimes... You know, something really cool happened last night!" The Siren beamed.

"Oh yeah? Tell me about it-wait, I'm getting ahead of myself! What's your real name?"

"It's Sage. I found a talking Bakugan!"

In that moment, she pulled out what was clearly a Darkus Bakugan. It was mostly black, with some purple, and small tinges of grey and red. Astrid looked closely at the Bakugan for a moment, and smiled.

"Well, it's clearly Darkus, but what's its name?"

The Bakugan opened itself up.

_"The name's Bahamut! Don't forget it!"_

_"So you have found yourself a partner as well, Bahamut." _

Astrid turned to face Odin, who had perched himself on her shoulder. She stared at him incredulously.

"You know him, Odin?!" She demanded.

_"Verily. He is the Black Dragon, Bahamut. A bit reckless, but quite capable in battle."_

_"Well, if it isn't Odin! Good to see you're still breathing, old friend!"_

_"Yes, truly. The Shiva Sisters, Brynhildr, and Alexander have all found partners as well." _

_"Nice! It'll be good to see some old friends!"_

"Terribly sorry, but I cannot allow that."

During the mini-conversation that Bahamut and Odin had (during which Astrid and the Starlight Siren had been staring at them the whole time), a figure had shown up. He possessed a similar outfit to the Savage Nymph when she'd attacked, and Astrid recognized the nature of the outfit, though it was clearly more themed for Aquos.

"You're in bed with the Savage Nymph, aren't you?!" Astrid demanded. The figure raised an eyebrow, and chuckled.

"I do not lay with that madwoman… very few go _near_ her. However, if you mean to ask if I am an… ally of hers, then yes, I am." He replied, leaping down to their level.

"If you know who she is, then you should know why I am here, Maiden of Thunder." He added calmly.

"Yea, you're here to steal our Bakugan!" Astrid exclaimed.

"Steal? You make it sound like a crime. Maiden of Thunder, we do not steal. We merely wish to bring about a new world… even if that means we must cripple our opponents." He explained cooly.

"Liar! You steal other people's Bakugan! There is no justification for that!" Astrid snapped.

"And you attacked my show! You could've killed millions of innocent people, you monster!" Sage added.

"I had no intention of hurting your admirers, Starlight Siren. Most of them do not possess Bakugan that are worth my time. You two, on the other hand-"

"Just who do you think you are, you murderer?!" Sage demanded.

"...I am the Luna Diviner of the Black Empire. If neither of you will surrender your Bakugan to me… then you leave me no choice."

The Luna Diviner pulled out a Gate Card, and his Capture Card. Astrid and Sage pulled their Gate Cards out, Ventus and Darkus, respectively.

"Bakugan, field, OPEN!" All three exclaimed in unison.


	18. Chapter 18: Darkened Winds (Part 2)

Chapter 18: Darkened Winds (Part 2)

Reality came to a halt around the three. The battlefield instantly revealed itself as the Ventus, Darkus, and Aquos brawlers stood on their respective sides of the battlefield, ready to brawl for their Bakugan's sakes.

"Capture Card, Set." The Luna Diviner said as he dropped his Capture Card into the ground. The Capture Card then expanded, incorporating the entire battlefield, only raising the stakes even higher.

"Gate Card, Set!" All three Brawlers exclaimed.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Darkus Bahamut!" Sage began, throwing the dragon-like Bakugan out on the field.

"You're dealing with the big guns now, punk!" Bahamut roared pridefully, baring his claws.

Darkus Bahamut G-Power 450

"The Black Dragon… Hm. It does not matter. He shall be mine. Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Aquos Juggernoid!" The Luna Diviner said calmly.

Aquos Juggernoid G-Power 330

"Ability Activate! Depth Tornado!" The Luna Diviner continued.

Aquos Juggernoid G-Power 430

Bahamut just yawned as he punched Juggernoid lazily with one fist, thus ending the battle.

"What?" The Luna Diviner said, a trace of irritation evident in his voice.

"Look, lady, if you don't know how to brawl, take up a human sport you can actually win with low numbers." Bahamut said, putting one clawed hand out to the side.

"Lady?! I am a man, you dull creature!" The Luna Diviner spat angrily, clearly offended by Bahamut's comment. The dragon laughed.

"How about you try a sport more up your alley, like golf, for example!" Sage continued as she grabbed Bahamut.

"Insignificant wretch! That does it! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Aquos Siege!" The Luna Diviner roared, having now almost completely lost his temper.

"My turn! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Ravenoid!" Astrid exclaimed. The humanoid raven flourished its wings as it stood.

Aquos Siege G-Power 360

Ventus Ravenoid G-Power 380

"Gate Card, Open! Character!" The Luna Diviner exclaimed, tossing his hand to the side.

Aquos Siege G-Power 720

"Ability Activate! Blow Away!" Astrid countered. With a flap of Ravenoid's wings, Siege had been moved onto another Gate card, and frankly wasn't happy about it, but the Aquos Bakugan's displeasure could only be seen for a small moment.

"Try as you might, there is nothing you can do! Ability Activate! Dive Mirage!" The Luna Diviner hissed.

"You know what you just did? You just nullified your own Gate card!" Astrid laughed.

Aquos Siege G-Power 360

"What-My Gate Card! You little brats!" The Luna Diviner roared.

"It was your own fault for diving in like that." Sage joked, smirking. Astrid, Odin, and Bahamut laughed at Sage's joke, while the Luna Diviner looked like he was ready to blow a gasket…. if said gasket hadn't already blown!

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Aquos Shade Sirenoid!" The Luna Diviner snapped, throwing out the twisted Sirenoid.

Aquos Shade Sirenoid G-Power 400

"Ready for this, partner?" Astrid asked.

"It would be my grand pleasure, milady!" Odin replied.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Odin!" Astrid exclaimed, throwing Odin with (almost) all of her might. Odin took the battlefield with a beautiful flurry of rose petals accompanying him.

Ventus Odin G-Power 410

"Gate Card, Open! Triple Battle!" Astrid continued, throwing her hand out to the side.

"Sage, ready to knock some heads?" Bahamut asked.

"Yeah, because we're winning this brawl! Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Let's do this, Bahamut!" Sage replied, spinning around once and throwing Bahamut on with a bit of dramatic flourish. The Black Dragon appeared, and let out a savage roar to announce his presence.

Darkus Bahamut G-Power 450

"Ability Activate! Gestalt Mode Activate!" Astrid and Sage exclaimed in perfect tandem. Bahamut and Odin nodded as the transformation began.

Odin dropped his massive S-shaped blade into the ground, leapt skyward, and shined with blinding light. After this, his arms folded in on themselves, becoming hooves. His core twisted around as already-transformed back hooves came together and his previous legs fused into his upper "legs". The plate of armor blinding his new equine "head" flew off, becoming a saddle on his back. Letting out a whinny and kicking his two front hooves forward, a flurry of rose petals flew up around him as a backdrop of the moon appeared behind him. He galloped down, and Astrid took it as her cue. She grabbed the gigantic S-blade, mounted him with great ease, and split the S-blade into two sections, silently thankful for her Asgardian strength. He reared up, kicking his front hooves again, but Astrid was not phased.

"Let's ride!" Astrid exclaimed as they finished.

Not unlike Odin, Bahamut thrusted himself upwards, and shone with equally blinding light. Bringing his legs together began a whole series of mechanical changes, with resounding crashes. His fused legs folded backwards, creating a new "head", as the armor that once draped around his legs flew off. Two red sections deployed on either side of his "head", and his claws changed to look more like a quadrupedal, earthbound animal's would. The sectioned armor that was once around his legs attached itself around where his other head was, locking into place with three clangs. Five sections that widened and curved as one looked farther away from the core body on either side lengthened and deployed, revealing themselves and becoming his new "wings". With a dramatic loop, he flew down, and when he was at his lowest, he slowed just enough for Sage to leap on. Finishing it with another dramatic loop, the two came back down, Sage half-kneeling on a "saddle" of sorts on Bahamut's new form.

"Now that's more like it!" Sage exclaimed as they finished.

Ventus Odin G-Power 510

Darkus Bahamut G-Power 550

"Ready to finish this?" Sage asked Astrid.

"Yeah!" Astrid replied with a firm nod.

"Ability Activate!" The two said in tandem.

"Zantetsuken!" Astrid yelled.

"Megaflare!" Sage continued.

Darkus Bahamut G-Power 750

Ventus Odin G-Power 750

Realizing what was about to happen as Odin reared up on his hind legs and Bahamut suddenly flew higher, the Luna Diviner snarled.

"Insignificant wretches! I won't let you win! Ability Activate! Forcement Wave!" He exclaimed, desperately activating his ability card.

Aquos Shade Sirenoid G-Power 500

It was for nothing. He watched in complete shock as the two Bakugan opposing him unleashed their power.

"The storm is here!" Astrid exclaimed as Odin rode forward, much closer to Sirenoid. She leapt up high, and began spinning around, raising one leg up against her other, bending it. She made a show of the twin blades, powerful wind gathering around as blinding light shone forth from them as rose petals came from seemingly nowhere, being blown about by the wind. It almost seemed to shatter reality itself, as there was a strange semblance of glass shattering as Astrid finished. She landed on the ground with a resounding thud, arms out to the side and on one knee. One last burst of invisible energy dealt more damage to Sirenoid, and then Astrid put the S-blade back together, giving it to Odin as she stood up. He took it in his mouth, turned around, and galloped off, returning to Astrid's hand.

"Rain down hell!" Sage exclaimed as Bahamut's eyes became pure white, the dragon being at maximum height in the air. His side jaws opened wider, and he gathered a sphere of black, dark purple, and dark blue energy in the open space, a white glow surrounding the sphere. It then suddenly shrunk, and he launched the sphere from his jaws. The sphere spiraled to the ground, making a violent and explosive impact upon landing on the ground… right underneath Sirenoid. It let loose a burst of various lights, finishing off Sirenoid by sending the twisted Aquos Bakugan skywards, before she crash-landed on the ground. Sage leapt off as Bahamut soared into the sky, landing on one knee, before standing up, and the dragon reverted back to ball form and returning to Sage.

The flow of time returned to normal. The Luna Diviner just stared for a moment before his glare became narrow and focused. He hissed, raising his hand, beginning to gather dark energy around it.

"So, this is your choice, children of the gods…. Hmph. Very well. You will rue the day you crossed the Black Empire!" He vowed, throwing his hand out. The energy created an arc, and, in the heat of the moment, Sage and Astrid grabbed each other as they began to fall down on their knees, Sage raising a defensive arm. Much to Sage's shock, the energy was blocked by a light green barrier that came from seemingly nowhere, but when both energy and barriers faded, they realized that the scorned man had escaped. Astrid hissed.

"It was just a diversion! Damn him!" She cursed.

"What was that, just now…?" Sage wondered to herself as the two stood up. Astrid noticed Sage's awed expression.

"You're telling me you have no idea how you made that barrier just now?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow. Sage shook her head.

"Not a clue, but, if we're going to be honest, it's not the first time something like that's happened." She confessed. Astrid let out a heavy sigh.

"So, you've got powers… and you have no idea how they work or what they are. Great." She droned. Just then, the whirl of helicopter blades was soon heard, and a powerful, continuing gust of wind soon followed. The two instinctively raised their arms to shield their faces, but it soon was over as a Quinjet landed not too far from them.

"ASTRID!"

Astrid didn't even have two seconds to react before Thor came barrelling towards her, scooping her up, and crushing her to him, all the while practically sobbing his eyes out. The other Avengers (and their children as well) just sighed and stared. What was to be done…

"Oh, Astrid… how I worried when I was told how you risked yourself! Thank the Norns you are unharmed!" He sobbed, overjoyed.

"Okay, okay, I get it… BUTIREALLYCAN'TBREATHEANDI'MGOINGTO SUFFOCATELETMEGO!" Astrid struggled to say, rushing the last part. Realizing what he was doing, Thor let his daughter go. After she caught her breath, Thor pulled her close again, this time being more gentle. The others smiled.

"You can't blame him. She is his daughter, after all." Steve said.

"Heh. Nothing like family love." Clint mused.


	19. Chapter 19: Midnight Rescue

Chapter 19: Midnight Rescue

It didn't take long for the Quinjet to get everyone back to their homes. Astrid returned to New Mexico with Thor and Jane, Katrina returned to her home with Natasha and Clint, and the others returned to Stark Tower, a tired Sage accompanying them. Out of respect, she was allowed to be alone in her guest quarters with nothing but a pen, a journal, and her own thoughts.

Astrid changed into her nightclothes-a soft, dress-like outfit that wasn't anything fancy. She crashed into the bed, exhausted. Odin rolled himself onto a pillow, and nested himself into a good position, opening himself up. Astrid let out a long sigh.

"So, just how do you know Bahamut, Odin? He's Darkus, you're Ventus, he's a hotshot, you're very calm… You're two completely different Bakugan!" Astrid finally asked.

"_You are right in that we are different in many ways. Although most of my memories are gone, the bond I must have forged with Bahamut long ago persevered through the loss. I have the feeling I know Alexander, the Shiva sisters, and Brynhildr from some long time ago as well." _Odin replied, letting out a bit of a sigh of his own. Astrid looked at him pitifully.

"You can't remember your own past? Why?"

"_My belief is that when the greedy fool Naga went to the very core of our dimension, Vestroia, in a lust for power he could not hope to understand or contain, he let loose the Negative Energy of the Silent Core, which had severe consequences."_

"Um… Who's Naga? And what's Vestroia? And this Silent Core you speak of… what is it?"

"_I do not remember everything, but Vestroia is the world where Bakugan come from, myself included. There was a greedy fool of a Bakugan, who cared nothing for others around him, and only wanted power. So, one day, he managed to break through the barriers around the two cores that held our world together-the Infinity Core, which was the source of all Positive Energy, and the Silent Core, which is the source of all Negative Energy." _

"So… Naga decides he wants power, and breaks through to the center of your world to these two cores. What would they do for him?"

"_Even I am unsure of how he hoped to use them, but his attempt to absorb their energy destroyed the balance they made. He became imprisoned inside the Silent Core, the Infinity Core was lost to your world, and I have vague memories of a third event transpiring, but I cannot remember enough…"_

Astrid bit her lip.

"My friends need to know about this!"

She shot up in an instant, and set herself in front of her computer. Odin watched quietly as Astrid typed the message to her friends. He returned to his ball form, deciding to rest after the events of today. He soon rolled to the bedside table when he saw Astrid coming to rest. She nestled herself in her sheets, falling into a deep slumber...

* * *

><p><em><strong>BOOM!<strong>_

A massive explosion tore through the silent night, thousands of miles away from normal civilization. The Savage Nymph, who was busy watching videos of suffering Bakugan, turned sharply and summoned electrified kunai inbetween her fingers. She turned sharply, and glared angrily in the direction of the hole in the wall.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" She demanded. She was greeted with an angry growl, and then her expression became her trademark devilish smirk.

"Oh, it's just you. The idiot creature-GUAAAH!" She began, before an angry off-green hand grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the wall.

"I'm free of your tricks… I'm not your puppet anymore!" A voice hissed.

"But… How… It…." Savage gasped as her face began to turn blue.

"I'm taking my friend back… and we're going to crush you into the ground!" The voice snarled, throwing Savage to the side. The sadistic Brawler coughed and sputtered as the source of the voice walked towards a room. In it, a Bakugan was being held against his will, struggling in the glass cage. The figure who had so easily crushed Savage's throat easily smashed the cage open, freeing the Bakugan, who rolled to the floor.

"_Thank God… I am finally free!" _He said. The figure took in a deep breath, and after a few pained grunts and awkward moments, knelt down and picked up the green-brown Bakugan.

"Are you okay, Hecaton?" The figure asked.

"_Now that you have freed me, I am."_ Hecatoncheir replied.

"Good, good." The figure said, standing up. The figure turned to face the hole that she had made.

"_Is there any reason we need to stay?" _Hecatoncheir asked.

"No, there isn't. Dad's probably getting nervous too." She replied. Hecatoncheir chuckled.

"_And that is never a good thing. Let's go home, Amelia." _He said. Amelia nodded as the moonlight revealed a small bit of her brown eyes and black hair.

"Mm-hmm. Let's go home, buddy." She affirmed, crawling out of the ruined building. She tore off through the desolate, bleak land, the silver moon and the gentle stars her only light in the dark of the night.

She soon arrived in her home, where her father was waiting, arms folded. He narrowed his gaze at her.

"Where have you been at this hour, Amelia?" He asked. She presented Hecatoncheir in her hands.

"Getting him back. He's my friend, after all." She replied. Her father sighed, and pulled her close.

"I guess you have the right to get your friend back. All I care about is that you're back." He said quietly. From behind the door, her mother was smiling. Amelia was led back inside by her father, and he put her to bed. Bruce sat next to his beloved on the old couch, in their simple home.

"Bruce, she needs friends."

"Betty-"

"I know, you're worried about the Other Side. But having friends will make her happy. Having friends will make the Other Side less of a problem."

Bruce sighed.

"If she's going to have friends, she's going to have to have friends who can fight the Other Side."

Betty smiled.

"I think we both know some people who can solve that problem, right?"

Bruce smiled a bit.

"I guess I've got a few phone calls to make, then." He said, getting up and going towards the kitchen. Betty smiled as he pulled the phone off the receiver.

* * *

><p>The next morning came, and an excited Amelia was ready. Today, she was heading to Stark Tower to meet the other Avengers' children, which meant she could <em>finally<em> have friends! (Well, more than one-Hecaton was a friend, after all!) She could barely contain her excitement when they pulled up to the skyscraper, and even moreso when they actually got inside, where Katrina, Serah, Astrid, and Christina were all waiting. Amelia ignored the actual Avengers themselves, darting straight for the children.

"About damn time you brought Amelia here, Doc." Tony said.

"You'll have to forgive me if I wasn't so sure about bringing a child who has powers just like mine near other kids." Bruce snapped, making sure to not get really angry.

"I understand your concern, Doctor Banner, but you have to understand she'd just a kid. Having friends will help her out more than you think." Steve pointed out. Bruce let out an exasperated sigh.

"Yea, I guess. I just wasn't sure…" He admitted.

"Don't worry. If something happens, our kids will be able to handle it." Natasha assured.

"Speaking of which… wasn't that pop star Starlight Siren supposed to be here?" Bruce asked.

"She left this morning. Recording stuff for her newest album." Clint summarized.

"Hey, dad! Amelia and I are gonna go play in the park, later, bye!" Serah said in a rush, heading out in a suit of armor, carrying Amelia with her.

"Serah, wait-! Damnit…" Tony exclaimed, running towards his daughter, but unable to stop her. Thor laughed.

"She truly _is_ your daughter, Man of Iron." He said, still laughing. Tony let out a string of curses under his breath.


End file.
